Cardy George
Piercing rural members since 1981
Back story is my Grandpa has just turned 90, is a fiercely proud, fiercely stubborn man, and lives 20km from Mildura, the main town in the region. The problem is his driving has been steadily declining over the last few years.
Started off by driving over garden beds.
Eighteen months ago he side swiped a car exiting a roundabout in his old Pajero and didn't realise. Should've lost his licence then, but didn't.
He downsized his car after that, but last Tuesday another motorist called the police after following him. She said he was all over the road, had smoke pouring out of the rear wheels from having the handbrake on for 20km at 80km/h, and then side swiped a car (again). He then proceeded to get tangled in the trolley bay metalwork of a Shopping Centre, which is where the police found him and took him off to hospital.
Uncle No. 1 called me to collect the car while he took Grandpa home. Uncle 1 and I decided together that the best way to keep Grandpa off the road is to take the car to my house, 15km the other side of Mildura.
Me, my wife, Uncle 1 AND Uncle 2 all agree the time has come for him to be off the road.
Except Uncle 2 has conveyed to us that Grandpa wants his car back. It's his after all and is not happy it's not in his possession. Uncle 2 is the only one who thinks it's OK to have the car in Grandpa's yard. The rest of us know how crafty and stubborn Grandpa is. There's no doubt in our minds if it's there, he'll drive it, licensed or not, but Uncle 2 is just is stubborn and says it needs to come back.
I don't want to give it back. Uncle 1 doesn't want him to have it back. I've only discussed it with Uncle 1 but we will buy the car ourselves to get him off the road. Morally I am 100% responsible if he causes someone an injury (or worse).
Question is, am I liable if I give it back and he crashes it again, when I know full well he's not competent enough to drive?
Started off by driving over garden beds.
Eighteen months ago he side swiped a car exiting a roundabout in his old Pajero and didn't realise. Should've lost his licence then, but didn't.
He downsized his car after that, but last Tuesday another motorist called the police after following him. She said he was all over the road, had smoke pouring out of the rear wheels from having the handbrake on for 20km at 80km/h, and then side swiped a car (again). He then proceeded to get tangled in the trolley bay metalwork of a Shopping Centre, which is where the police found him and took him off to hospital.
Uncle No. 1 called me to collect the car while he took Grandpa home. Uncle 1 and I decided together that the best way to keep Grandpa off the road is to take the car to my house, 15km the other side of Mildura.
Me, my wife, Uncle 1 AND Uncle 2 all agree the time has come for him to be off the road.
Except Uncle 2 has conveyed to us that Grandpa wants his car back. It's his after all and is not happy it's not in his possession. Uncle 2 is the only one who thinks it's OK to have the car in Grandpa's yard. The rest of us know how crafty and stubborn Grandpa is. There's no doubt in our minds if it's there, he'll drive it, licensed or not, but Uncle 2 is just is stubborn and says it needs to come back.
I don't want to give it back. Uncle 1 doesn't want him to have it back. I've only discussed it with Uncle 1 but we will buy the car ourselves to get him off the road. Morally I am 100% responsible if he causes someone an injury (or worse).
Question is, am I liable if I give it back and he crashes it again, when I know full well he's not competent enough to drive?