Steve,
I’m sorry, but what all this garbage about the elderly being confused over what green lights were in their lane. This is a clear cut case of colour prejudice, and outside of that what on earth are these green lights anyway.
In terms of youngsters being quick thinking I once spent several minutes watching a bloke calculate the total of 5 items at 99 pence each, so I would not wish to be involved with such a person in a road situation which required some fast thinking brain power on their part.
Funnily enough during lunch one day with James Hunt (F1 driver in the 1970’s) I asked him what was his mental attitude when driving extremely fast, and I pointed out that on my part I found that at moderate speeds like 130mph I always had an adrenalin rush which was quite exhausting, and reckoned that I could only last a few minutes at say 180mph. Although I can longer remember his precise words he basically explained that the first necessity was to slow the brain way down, and to calculate exactly what was to be done before the event took place. He said that although his driving style was often reported as aggressive that he always felt calm and rational, and his only real excitement was the idea of winning.
It’s true of course that professional racing car drivers are a unique bunch, but within Hunt’s comments and the attributes that are being awarded to teenagers in this debate I see no link whatsoever, principally because I have witnessed on so many occasions youngsters making manoeuvres on the road which are 100% devoid of thought, skill, or planning. The only real quality that many teenagers have is an act of bravado – followed up by the hope that they might pull it off, or that nothing can go wrong. I suppose the frequent use of drugs amongst teenagers helps towards this.
I have never believed that high speed driving and safety are at opposite poles, so I am not entirely old fashioned in my thinking, however if anything is to be done properly it requires an element of good practical experience, a touch of pride, and the will power to be in full control and act rational. Personally I do not see these qualities coming from teenagers. For sure I was a hopeless driver when I was very young, although I confess I never resorted to road rage to boost my ego or impress the girlfriend.
In truth I reckon the safest drivers on the road are 30 to 40 years of age (excluding Mums with “children onboard” who clearly find it inconvenient to indicate that they are turning, or overtaking), but then again the premiums set by insurance companies probably reflect my opinion. I expect some individuals on the forum who are 39 years of age will believe that in another 10 years they will be even better drivers, but in all honesty (and from experience) this will unlikely be the case. For sure age often brings wisdom, which is not to be sneered at, but that in itself does not make for a great driver.
Regards
John Disdale
