'S' Plates for elderley (senior) drivers

Forums › Off topic › 'S' Plates for elderley (senior) drivers

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

29104 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10222

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3467196 6-Mar-2026 09:43

MikeB4:

I have been told that I am lucky or privileged for having a mobility parking permit. Oddly I don't feel privileged and certainly don't feel lucky.

I have been abused and accused of being false because apparently terrible disabled folk don't own new vehicles or SUVs.

Labels bring a lot of issues and attract hate and abuse. Labels are target.

I know someone that stopped driving their porsche because of that issue. Apparently if you have mobility issues you can only look poor and drive a sh*tbox car.

Richard rich.ms

Nate001

677 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 465

#3468892 11-Mar-2026 14:02

Incredibly sad accident from North Shore. Driver described as "very, very old lady".

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360949568/driver-slams-cafe-hitting-mother-and-daughter-leaving-mum-critically-injured

Handsomedan

7770 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7408

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#3468911 11-Mar-2026 14:16

Nate001:

Incredibly sad accident from North Shore. Driver described as "very, very old lady".

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360949568/driver-slams-cafe-hitting-mother-and-daughter-leaving-mum-critically-injured

Yeah, I don't think that a blue S plate would've saved that poor woman's life. She was sitting having a coffee with her daughter in a side street cafe - I know the area very well.
Also - "very, very old lady" is the cafe owner's statement - we will have to wait for the official verdict from the authorities on whether she should have been behind the wheel and just how old she actually was.

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.
Handsome Dan needs to stop adding three dots to every sentence...

Handsome Dan does not currently have a side hustle as the mascot for Yale

*Gladly accepting donations...

Eva888

2763 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2429

Lifetime subscriber

#3468919 11-Mar-2026 14:21

How does anyone drive into a cafe. Maybe had a heart attack or stroke and lost control. Even dehydration can make someone pass out.

Handsomedan

7770 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7408

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#3468929 11-Mar-2026 14:44

Eva888:

How does anyone drive into a cafe. Maybe had a heart attack or stroke and lost control. Even dehydration can make someone pass out.

Knowing where this occurred, I am shocked, to say the least. It would be easier to NOT drive into that row of shops. Unless she came from one of the driveways across the road, the only possible explanation would be medical event leading to the crash.

Edit: driver could have perhaps been parking outside the cafe and somehow mashed the accelerator, causing the accident?

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.
Handsome Dan needs to stop adding three dots to every sentence...

Handsome Dan does not currently have a side hustle as the mascot for Yale

*Gladly accepting donations...

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
9334 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6203

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3468939 11-Mar-2026 15:16

Eva888:

How does anyone drive into a cafe. Maybe had a heart attack or stroke and lost control. Even dehydration can make someone pass out.

I think we can assume it wasn’t deliberate - so that means either a medical event (most likely) or a malfunction with the car. Tragic regardless.

We know that cafe well too and Mrs Code and her walking group mates go there for morning coffee reasonably frequently. It’s in a small group of shops in a quiet side street with low traffic speeds.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

Bung

6734 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2927

Subscriber

#3468941 11-Mar-2026 15:20

Handsomedan:

Knowing where this occurred, I am shocked, to say the least. It would be easier to NOT drive into that row of shops. Unless she came from one of the driveways across the road, the only possible explanation would be medical event leading to the crash.

Edit: driver could have perhaps been parking outside the cafe and somehow mashed the accelerator, causing the accident?

Looking at the streetview of those parking spaces there's only about a 50mm kerb so the front wall of the cafe is it if someone hits accelerator instead of brakes.

gzt

18689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7827

Lifetime subscriber

#3468972 11-Mar-2026 15:32

Unintended acceleration during a parking maneuver is a common and frequent error. It's so common that Honda have mitigation available in later models:

https://global.honda/en/tech/Unintended_Acceleration_Mitigation/

Personally I'd like to see a lot more bollards used in busy perpendicular parking areas like this one.

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19071 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16318

Lifetime subscriber

#3468979 11-Mar-2026 15:44

gzt: Unintended acceleration during a parking maneuver is a common and frequent error. It's so common that Honda have mitigation available in later models:

And that is why it is good to learn to brake with the left foot (as per an earlier discussion here). Most cars these days are automatics. I always hover my foot over the brake when reversing or navigating a tight space.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

elpenguino

3577 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2939

#3468981 11-Mar-2026 15:45

gzt: Unintended acceleration during a parking maneuver is a common and frequent error. It's so common that Honda have mitigation available in later models:

https://global.honda/en/tech/Unintended_Acceleration_Mitigation/

Personally I'd like to see a lot more bollards used in busy perpendicular parking areas like this one.

Me too, or very large concrete planter boxes.

Its no different to a deliberate vehicle attack if you're on the receiving end.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

SpartanVXL

1498 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 666

#3469001 11-Mar-2026 16:12

Rikkitic:

gzt: Unintended acceleration during a parking maneuver is a common and frequent error. It's so common that Honda have mitigation available in later models:

And that is why it is good to learn to brake with the left foot (as per an earlier discussion here). Most cars these days are automatics. I always hover my foot over the brake when reversing or navigating a tight space.

It goes both ways if I remember right, left foot braking would cause accidents on the road because the person would put both feet down and wouldn’t be able to stop in time.

Geekzone support

Support Geekzone with one-off or recurring donations Donate via PressPatron.

tweake

2647 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1139

#3469045 11-Mar-2026 17:47

gzt: Unintended acceleration during a parking maneuver is a common and frequent error. It's so common that Honda have mitigation available in later models:

https://global.honda/en/tech/Unintended_Acceleration_Mitigation/

Personally I'd like to see a lot more bollards used in busy perpendicular parking areas like this one.

it certainly seams to be common enough, but i have never seen an actual cause published. eg is it a coordination issue or nerve damage issue (can't feel their feet), a dementia issue, other health issue etc.

tweake

2647 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1139

#3469048 11-Mar-2026 17:49

SpartanVXL:
It goes both ways if I remember right, left foot braking would cause accidents on the road because the person would put both feet down and wouldn’t be able to stop in time.

i've never had an issue myself and i've done a lot of emergency stops to avoid being hit by someone else over the years.

Handle9

11927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9683

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3469060 11-Mar-2026 18:44

SpartanVXL:

Rikkitic:

And that is why it is good to learn to brake with the left foot (as per an earlier discussion here). Most cars these days are automatics. I always hover my foot over the brake when reversing or navigating a tight space.

It goes both ways if I remember right, left foot braking would cause accidents on the road because the person would put both feet down and wouldn’t be able to stop in time.

When you do advanced driver training you get taught to absolutely jam the left foot into the floor at the same time you hammer the brake. It generates considerably more leverage and significantly reduces the stopping distance.

gzt

18689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7827

Lifetime subscriber

#3469127 11-Mar-2026 20:37

Imo one possibility in this class of accident is an unanticipated kerb hit or similar bump leading to driver feet floating in the air then returning with force to the same pedal. That is only one thing no doubt there are many variations. Engaging forward gear instead of reverse while at the same time being focused on the rear view is yet another thing that may factor alone or combine to reduce reaction time to events in front.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4