Sure, you’re only as young as you feel.
Road rage seems to be something you are automatically handed along with your keys when you step foot in the door of the car.
We think that all the other drivers on the road are not as good as we are and no matter how well and safe they may be driving, we curse about them and even sometimes beep at them to show our annoyance at their driving.
Sometimes, when we finally get a chance to overtake the slow coaches, we turn around and see that they’re an elderly driver and a thought crosses our mind, old people shouldn’t be on the road.
Road rage is not something to be proud of and after the RTÉ One documentary that aired on Monday night, it is something that we might try and stamp out completely, especially road rage aimed at that of elderly drivers.
Too Old For The Road is a documentary following the lives of older Irish motorists as they face concerns including failing eyesight, licence renewal and the possibility that they might no longer be fit to drive and was a massive success on television when it aired for the first time on Monday night raking in an average viewership of 346,300.
Beep! Loads of ❤️ for #TooOldForTheRoad 🚗 @RTEOne last night, driving an avg audience of 346,300 viewers (30% share). Thanks for watching 👍 pic.twitter.com/tN4c3ywqEu
— RTÉ (@rte) June 20, 2017
It follows a few drivers who are all over the ages of 80 and to hear their reaction to driving at that age is sweet, heartbreaking and leaves you with a completely changed perception of elderly drivers.
We meet John Walsh, a Tipperary driver who is 101-years-old. He has more experience on the road than anyone in Ireland and it is evident just how much driving means to him.
“The main thing I would hope for, is that when I give up driving – I die fairly quickly,” said John.
While John doesn’t want to stop driving, Michael, an 83-year-old driver from Kilkenny “doesn’t want to but has to” and added that “it’s terrible to be getting old, you know. Nobody wants you.”
Sure, elderly drivers might not be as fresh on the road as the young guns (as 86-year-old Joan points out when she admits to concealing car scratches with a paintbrush) but it doesn’t mean they are too old for the road.
https://twitter.com/davemc76/status/876922037666811909
Ageing with Attitude …. #TooOldForTheRoad
— Dr. Eddie Murphy (@dreddiemurphy) June 19, 2017
"It's terrible to be getting old, nobody wants you" says Michael. Such a heartbreaking statement.#TooOldForTheRoad
— L. NíHéineacháin (@LaobhaoiseNihE) June 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/Aitnursie/status/876903551515201536
Joan painting the scratches on the car with poster paint is the best television I've seen in ages. Love her #TooOldfortheRoad
— Jennifer O'Brien (@Jen_OBrien1) June 19, 2017
Too Old For The Road is now available to view on the RTÉ Player.
