81 and drive a Mustang GT. Long time drag racer back in the states with a few trophy's to show. I know my limitations, don't drive at night. I avoid driving in the rain, Stang isn't stable and Thai driving is even worse during rain. I've been here "adapting" to Thai drivers, i.e. non-drivers, since 2002. When I finish the modifications to the Stang, get an 11 second ET I'll hang it up. Not too much time left anyway, Agent Orange came calling back in 2023. Rent a PU or SUV once or twice a year for the drive down to Pattaya for offshore fishing. Need the room for ice chest and fishing gear. I won't take the Stang down there. The sights and sounds of Pattaya hold little interest for me as I was there when it was worth being there and loved it. Damn right I was a sexpat. Now happy with Lao life partner and son.

If you are thinking it is time to quit driving by all means quit. If you just like to stir the pot, make opinion posts on Aseannow.

20 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

There are several facets to this debate.

Firstly, almost everyone believes they are a safer driver than average. Statistically, that's impossible. By definition, roughly half of all drivers are below average.

At 80+, experience is undeniably valuable. But reaction time, processing speed, peripheral awareness, flexibility, eyesight, hearing and particularly night vision often decline with age. Confidence doesn't always decline at the same rate. Many older drivers genuinely believe they're still driving as well as they did twenty years ago.

The young have their own blind spots. They overestimate skill, underestimate risk, drive too fast, take unnecessary chances and think they're invincible. Just look at the number of young motorcyclists riding as though the laws of physics don't apply to them.

The reality is that dangerous drivers exist in every age group.

Three examples from my own experience:

• Father-in-law (Bangkok, aged about 78): Driving along Sukhumvit Road, he stopped in the middle lane to drop me off. When I told him he couldn't stop there, he immediately cut across the left lane without looking, almost collecting a motorcyclist, just to reach the kerb. I was a nervous wreck. Family rule: my son never travels in a car driven by him.

• Father (UK): On country lanes he drives too fast, misjudges bends, clips kerbs, scrapes hedges and spots potholes too late to avoid them. He genuinely believes he's a perfectly safe driver. Family rule: my son never travels in a car driven by him either.

• Real case: A former Mayor of Worcestershire, aged 88, drifted across the centre line and collided head-on with another car. His wife was killed and the young woman in the other vehicle was left with life-changing facial injuries. After a lifetime of public service, that's the tragedy people remember. He was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving, but died before the case reached trial.

The common thread? Every one of those drivers believed they were safe.

• Just as the bloke who's had five pints thinks he's fine.

• The person full of cold medication thinks they're fine.

• The driver with a stinking hangover thinks they're fine.

• Almost nobody voluntarily says, "I'm too dangerous to be behind the wheel today"

And that's precisely the problem. We are all very good at judging everyone else's driving, but remarkably poor at judging our own. The comments in this thread illustrate that perfectly. Some display classic overconfidence (Khun LA), while others fail to recognise that their own position is every bit as irrational as the one they're criticising (Gamma's lack of self awareness that he's full on bonkers !).

Your post reminds me of my own father back in Australia, now deceased from a severe stroke at 68, 3 years after retiring.

He had been a good driver all his life, never one accident, he taught me how to drive, driving behaviors, the rules of the road with excellent credible background to all the driving rules.

On retirement he very suddenly changed his driving behaviors:

• Driving way too fast (city and country) plus suddenly speeding up way past any logical 'speed up' need.

• Driving way too close to the car / vehicle just in front.

• Ignoring the cars travelling in / appraoching intersections from all directions. and ignoring red lights, just keep going.

• In the middle of an intersection he would suddenly realize that he was in the middle of an intersection and jam his foot on the footbrake.

• My mum had never drven so she was to some extent oblivious to dad's new 'driving behavirs' and the danger they were both in.

• I refused to get in his car, always making excuses.

• I was trying to think of a way to take his car keys without causing him loss of face but also realizing that needed to be done very urgently.

• I tried 'you need to relax dad, tell me and I will drive you and mum anywhere you need to go'. He was horrified and told me so.

• Two days later he had a massive stroke in hissleep and died.

2 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I work on rotation, so when I'm back in Thailand I'd catch up with my other offshore mates who were in Thailand.

I used to drink with them every afternoon at Rhompo market bars at Jomtien.

At times I'd see this frail, elderly foreigner riding his Honda Scoopy. He'd pull up at the market buy his food then ride off. He'd be wobbling up the road, other vehicles would have to yield to allow the old guy to proceed, he was unfit to ride, erratic riding behaviour.

Quite sad seeing this old guy doing that daily

Just another lost soul?

One can never completely tell about the state of happiness of others, just by watching them wobble or waddle.

27 minutes ago, scorecard said:

he taught me how to drive, driving behaviors, the rules of the road

All of no use here!!

2 hours ago, Surasak said:

Wherever have you been hiding? Self Driving Autos have been around for a while now.

I believe the point of your tack has broken off?

I did forget to add the word ubiquitous, I see.

2 hours ago, Presnock said:

at 78 years of age, my Thai wife advised me that it was time to cease getting upset every time I drove on the roads of Thailand. At first of course I just said okay and thought that would pass when she needed to travel anywhere via motor vehicle - GRAB. We have several years later have a regular GRAB driver that takes us where ever and whenever. I actually enjoy this much more and feel a lot safer now on the roads. Currently, the only thing that even raises the hackles a tad is US politics but even that is being ignored by this old impotent man. I haven't voted in any recent election as I was disappointed in the candidates and looking from here at their terms, feel justified in my negative comments about them. I see very little positive actions within this administration and feel that most of them are very corrupt IMHO anyway. But that is a different story, I still read about the horrible accidents taking place it seems daily here on the roads. Really glad I can just sit back now and watch the idiots (IMHO) who still have a license (I guess) to drive insanely here. I do wish only the best of luck to all whether one drives or not.

As I say, driving is no fun anymore.

There are too many cars and motorbikes and trucks on the road which often just inch along when there is construction work, or during rush hour.

What fun is that?

Better just to sit in the back seat and use one's phone to post Topics on TV.

On 6/25/2026 at 11:50 AM, GammaGlobulin said:

Dear Folks,

Are you sure that you are safe driving a car at age 80?

Safe for whom?

Is this not foolhardy?

What evidence do you have that you are safe on the road?

South Florida is famous for collisions caused by people like you.

This is why Naples, Florida is so very dangerous.

But, one supposes, you still believe you are safe to drive here in Thailand, approaching the 8th decade of your life?

Really?

What might it take for you to finally relinquish possession of the keys to your car?

A head-on collision that kills somebody?

Just asking.

Best regards,

Gamma

Note: Dementia happens so gradually that Old People are unable to grasp how dangerous they become.

Yes....

Old People are EXTREMELY Dangerous to society.

Who does not agree?

Note2: So many OLD PEOPLE out on the road, as we all know. AND....are they not almost as dangerous as DRUNK DRIVERS?

This just depends upon HOW DRUNK, and HOW DECREPIT....maybe....

If you are approaching 80, you are approaching the 9th decade of your life, not the 8th.

33 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Your post reminds me of my own father back in Australia, now deceased from a severe stroke at 68, 3 years after retiring.

He had been a good driver all his life, never one accident, he taught me how to drive, driving behaviors, the rules of the road with excellent credible background to all the driving rules.

On retirement he very suddenly changed his driving behaviors:

• Driving way too fast (city and country) plus suddenly speeding up way past any logical 'speed up' need.

• Driving way too close to the car / vehicle just in front.

• Ignoring the cars travelling in / appraoching intersections from all directions. and ignoring red lights, just keep going.

• In the middle of an intersection he would suddenly realize that he was in the middle of an intersection and jam his foot on the footbrake bringing the cat to a quick dead stop with skiding, in the middle of the intersection.

• My mum had never driven so she was to some extent oblivious to dad's new 'driving behaviors' and the danger they were both in.

• I refused to get in his car, always making excuses.

• I was in panic trying to think of a way to take his car keys without causing him loss of face but also realizing that something needed to be done very urgently.

• I tried 'you need to relax and enjoy your retirement dad, tell me and I will drive you and mum anywhere you need to go, any day / tim'. He was horrified and told me so.

• Two days later he had a massive stroke in his sleep and died.

1 hour ago, wwest5829 said:

firing on all cylinders

You should go electric.

You are still young enough to do so.

18 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

If you are approaching 80, you are approaching the 9th decade of your life, not the 8th.

No, I meant approaching the 80th decade of one's life, not the 8th.

On 25-6-2026 at 08:50, GammaGlobulin said:

Beste mensen,

Weet u zeker dat u op 80-jarige leeftijd nog veilig auto kunt rijden?

Veilig voor wie?

Is dit niet roekeloos?

Ontdek meer

Hulpmiddelen voor moderatiediensten

Cursussen Thaise taal

Abonnement op politiek nieuws

Welk bewijs heb je dat je veilig bent op de weg?

Zuid-Florida staat bekend om de aanrijdingen die veroorzaakt worden door mensen zoals jij.

Dit is waarom Naples, Florida zo gevaarlijk is.

Maar u denkt toch niet dat u, nu u de tachtig nadert, nog steeds veilig kunt autorijden in Thailand?

Echt?

Wat zou er voor nodig zijn om u er eindelijk toe te bewegen de sleutels van uw auto af te staan?

Een frontale botsing waarbij iemand om het leven komt?

Ik vraag het maar even.

Hartelijke groeten,

Gamma

Let op: Dementie ontwikkelt zich zo geleidelijk dat ouderen zich niet realiseren hoe gevaarlijk het wordt.

Ja....

Oudere mensen vormen een UITERST gevaar voor de samenleving.

Wie is het daar niet mee eens?

Opmerking 2: Er zijn, zoals we allemaal weten, ontzettend veel OUDEREN op de weg. EN... zijn zij niet bijna net zo gevaarlijk als DRONKEN BESTUURDERS?

Dat hangt er gewoon vanaf hoe dronken en hoe vervallen iemand is... misschien...

what a bull<deleted> , you got nothing else to do .

16 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

No, I meant approaching the 80th decade of one's life, not the 8th.

That only happened to Methuselah.

i am 83. I still drive a scooter and a car.

In 15 years driving here, I have had one scooter accident. Not my fault, a Thai airhead texting on her mobile drove straight at me, and i fell trying to get out of her way.

My BP is normal, my heart rate for my age ( 60 bpm ) is elite level. Vision good, reaction time 0.41 seconds.

Before I got the keys to my first company car in Australia, I had to pass a defensive driving course.

I have an Australian motorcycle licence. Passing the test there is far more rigorous than here, the licences seem to come out of packets of cereal.

Anyone who tries to tell me I should give up driving on the basis of an arbitrary age marker can go suck a turd.

I'm 80 years old, and it's been several years since I permanently handed the wheel over to my wife, who is 30 years younger than me.

My mother still drives - quite safely - at age 96.

She did stop long distance driving/highway driving a couple of years ago (aged around 92-93) and now just does local errands. But did long distance drives well into her eighties and was on highways past age 90. Never an accident or problem but she began to curtail things on her own accord when she began to note that she was more easily flustered and decided it would now be wiser to stick to well known routes.

Never an accident and riding with her I find nothing to fault in her judgement or reflexes.

People vary enormously in the aging process. Of course, hearing and vision need to be considered as does reaction time and overall health but these too vary greatly.

Many countries require more frequent renewals and testing for driving licenses past a certain age.

Insurers will tell you that the highest accidents rates are not in the elderly but in younger people (teens/early twenties), especially males.

fading eye sight is the pomplem ,age related macular degeneration

The timing is just right for me on this subject. I'm 83 been driving for 70 years started at 13 in Seattle. I have been driving right hand cars for pass 41 years. Monday I'm going to renew my license and in all likely hood for the last time. I have limited my driving to my housing area and the local food market. I really do not like drive in heavy traffic areas mostly due to the increase number of motor cycles. My mother was still driving at age 96 she didn't start driving until she was in her mid 40's, but all that time not one accident or ticket. I do not plan on driving to her age though. The cost to get a Grab is low and dependable except at late evening here in Bangkok. Which I use now to go into the city. For now i like to drive to the local swimming pool and Market which just blocks away and to far walk every hard to get a Grab do to the short distance.

The graph below shows the accident and fatality risk per milage driven against age.

Driver crash risk follows a clear U-curve by age, but the type of risk shifts depending on how you measure it.

Teens (16–17) have by far the highest total crash rate - around 1,400 per 100 million miles - driven by inexperience, poor hazard perception, and risk-taking behaviour. That rate drops sharply through the 20s and bottoms out in the 60s, the statistically safest age group on the road.

Beyond 70, risk climbs again, but for a different reason. Older drivers don't crash more often in total terms - their overall crash rate stays relatively modest - but when they do crash, it kills them. Fragility, not recklessness, is the mechanism. A collision that a 35-year-old walks away from is potentially fatal at 80.

Annual mileage adds another layer. Teens and the elderly drive the least - around 7,500–9,000 miles a year - while working-age adults (25–59) drive roughly double that. So while middle-aged drivers have low crash rates per mile, their sheer exposure means they account for the largest share of total crash numbers in absolute terms.

The takeaway: age shapes how you're at risk, not just whether you are. Young drivers crash frequently but survive. Older drivers crash less but die more when they do. And the high-mileage middle cohort is safer per mile but omnipresent on the road.

Ultimately, if you're an 80 year old and you are letting your 17 year old Gik drive - you face the greatest risk !!!

Data sources for the chart:

• All crash rates — AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Rates of Motor Vehicle Crashes, Injuries and Deaths in Relation to Driver Age, United States, 2014–2015 (aaafoundation.org). Per-mile total crash involvement by age group, the most granular publicly available dataset.

• Fatal crash rates — NHTSA Young Drivers (Countermeasures That Work) using 2016–17 NHTS baseline; IIHS Fatality Facts 2023: Older People

• Annual mileage by age — FHWA, Average Annual Miles per Driver by Age Group (fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm)

Edited June 26Jun 26 by richard_smith237

24 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

The graph below shows the accident and fatality risk per milage driven against age.

Ultimately, if you're an 80 year old and you are letting your 17 year old Gik drive - you face the greatest risk !!!

If you are 80 yo and have a 17 yo gik, your risk in the bedroom is much higher than on the road.

4 hours ago, kanGBK said:

what a bull<deleted> , you got nothing else to do .

Are you from Italy, or something?

Why has my English turned to Italian.

Not that I mind it, of course.

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

The graph below shows the accident and fatality risk per milage driven against age.

Driver crash risk follows a clear U-curve by age, but the type of risk shifts depending on how you measure it.

Teens (16–17) have by far the highest total crash rate - around 1,400 per 100 million miles - driven by inexperience, poor hazard perception, and risk-taking behaviour. That rate drops sharply through the 20s and bottoms out in the 60s, the statistically safest age group on the road.

Beyond 70, risk climbs again, but for a different reason. Older drivers don't crash more often in total terms - their overall crash rate stays relatively modest - but when they do crash, it kills them. Fragility, not recklessness, is the mechanism. A collision that a 35-year-old walks away from is potentially fatal at 80.

Annual mileage adds another layer. Teens and the elderly drive the least - around 7,500–9,000 miles a year - while working-age adults (25–59) drive roughly double that. So while middle-aged drivers have low crash rates per mile, their sheer exposure means they account for the largest share of total crash numbers in absolute terms.

The takeaway: age shapes how you're at risk, not just whether you are. Young drivers crash frequently but survive. Older drivers crash less but die more when they do. And the high-mileage middle cohort is safer per mile but omnipresent on the road.

Ultimately, if you're an 80 year old and you are letting your 17 year old Gik drive - you face the greatest risk !!!

Data sources for the chart:

• All crash rates — AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Rates of Motor Vehicle Crashes, Injuries and Deaths in Relation to Driver Age, United States, 2014–2015 (aaafoundation.org). Per-mile total crash involvement by age group, the most granular publicly available dataset.

• Fatal crash rates — NHTSA Young Drivers (Countermeasures That Work) using 2016–17 NHTS baseline; IIHS Fatality Facts 2023: Older People

• Annual mileage by age — FHWA, Average Annual Miles per Driver by Age Group (fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm)

This data shows that one should hang up one's set of keys at age 70 to 75.

The scale on the right of the graph seems overly confusing.

We need accidents per kilometer driven, clear and simple.

We do not need to know kilometers driven for each age group, for the purposes here, anyway.

It depends a lot on the individual. People age at different rates.

Are you approaching 80... No

Are you still driving a car... Yes

Are you a fool... No

Have you not seen the shockingly poor quality of Thai drivers, whether young or old.

Like most things some people are fine driving as they get quite old some are not. I'm not in my seventies yet but if I feel that my driving standards are dropping I like most people would consider not driving. However there would need to be a massive deterioration before I dropped to the level of Thai average.

Everyone is different but we should all be aware of our ability.

5 minutes ago, LittleBear57 said:

I'm not in my seventies yet but if I feel that my driving standards are dropping

You are lucky. Mine have never been very high.

49 minutes ago, LittleBear57 said:

Have you not seen the shockingly poor quality of Thai drivers, whether young or old.

Like most things some people are fine driving as they get quite old some are not. I'm not in my seventies yet but if I feel that my driving standards are dropping I like most people would consider not driving. However there would need to be a massive deterioration before I dropped to the level of Thai average.

Everyone is different but we should all be aware of our ability.

What, specifically, do you find so shockingly poor about the quality of Thai drivers?

Or, are you only referring to Thai drivers who are 80yo or above?

My driver is Thai.

She drives quite well and is very safe.

I leave the driving to her.

I benefit from lower stress.

Less chance of accident.

I have no experience driving with the steering wheel on the right side of the auto, where it definitely does NOT belong.

Edited June 26Jun 26 by GammaGlobulin

On 6/26/2026 at 7:32 AM, Sheryl said:

My mother still drives - quite safely - at age 96.

She did stop long distance driving/highway driving a couple of years ago (aged around 92-93) and now just does local errands. But did long distance drives well into her eighties and was on highways past age 90. Never an accident or problem but she began to curtail things on her own accord when she began to note that she was more easily flustered and decided it would now be wiser to stick to well known routes.

Never an accident and riding with her I find nothing to fault in her judgement or reflexes.

People vary enormously in the aging process. Of course, hearing and vision need to be considered as does reaction time and overall health but these too vary greatly.

Many countries require more frequent renewals and testing for driving licenses past a certain age.

Insurers will tell you that the highest accidents rates are not in the elderly but in younger people (teens/early twenties), especially males.

and that's it in a nut shell

As a matter of interest I would like to know which Thai motor insurance do the over 75s use because some insurance companies make 75 years old a cut off for motor insurance .

Many things I find about Thai driving in .general. I should point out I have driven between 300, 000 and 400,000 kms here in my years living here.

The daily occurance of drivers pulling out of minor roads without looking.

Finding cars on the wrong side of the road when going round bends.

Overtaking on blind bends.

Overtaking on the brow of a hill.

Parking on busy junctions even at night.

Driving straight through roundabouts like they are not there.

Driving without lights at night is very common.

Cutting in and out of lanes to save seconds, especially at traffic lights.

Refusing to use the left lane when on dual carriage ways when traveling slow.

Similar but driving on the motorway in the third lane at 100km or less when the 2 lens left of them are empty.

Tailgating is another favourite here.

That's just my immediate thought I'm sure others would come to mind later.

However I do not say all Thai drivers are like that. Many are good drivers and quite safe, I trust my wife totally ang many of the taxis I have used have been great.

But I will never forget sitting behind a minibus driver not long ago driving from Bkk to Sattahip. He had 3 phones on stands on the dash in front of him. On one he had sat nav. The other he was talking to people throughout the journey. And on the third he was catching up on Thai TV. Very happy when I got home. Scary driving in general too, tailgating especially.

No countries drivers are perfect but Thailand has much more bad drivers than it's fair share.

Forgot this one drivg through RED lights is very common.