Retired nurse’s anger at ‘patronising’ approach to older drivers

At a meeting of Scottish Borders Safer Communities Board last month Tweeddale ward representative Julie Pirone urged elderly drivers to “think twice” before going for a drive.

Her comments came after a recent spate of deaths involving elderly drivers on the region’s roads.

Councillor Pirone also urged families of older motorists to check that they are “really fit to drive”.

The comments did not go down well with 83-year-old motorist Janet Alexander who criticised the use of language and said it was an example of prevalent ‘ageism’ in modern society.

Janet said: “I am an 83-year-old female driver and I did not like the patronising language quoted by Councillor Julie Pirone. The accidents in the Borders were tragic but an assumption has been made that they happened because the drivers were older. I asked myself if the four people had been of colour, gay or transgender would the same have been said.

“I am really fed-up of ageism being ignored in this country when all the other ‘isms’ appear to get great publicity. I may be an 83-year-old, white, heterosexual female but I still have a thinking brain. I drive quite a bit in the Borders and I can assure you ‘near miss’ accidents are not always caused by older people.”

In response, Councillor Pirone said: “I’m sorry that I have offended Janet in any way. I was relaying the facts that in the last few months all our serious road accidents in the Borders featured elderly drivers. It is a known fact that our elderly people, who are precious to us, have poor outcomes in traffic accidents and families do not want to be without them.

“No-one is intending to stop anyone from driving. I was simply asking people to take care and think if they really need to travel in bad weather or if it is dark and for families to check if older people are okay to drive or they can help them.

“If my warning saves one life I will have helped in some way.”

Janet said she appreciated the councillor’s response but still believes that accident statistics can be ‘distorted’ and that careful use of language was important, citing the use of terms such as “our elderly” as particularly patronising.

She added: “To my understanding there have only been two incidents. Statistically in a small area like the Borders, this can be disproportionate to a larger catchment area, therefore statistics can be distorted.

“I have lived and driven in the Borders more or less all my life in different areas. One always had to be vigilant regarding conditions etc. I even taught my family about the dangers, including other drivers. I don’t need a warning. I need information from the police, weather experts and the condition of roads from the council.”