Women in horror crash with ailing pensioner demand law change
Two women who suffered serious injuries from a car crash with a pensioner are calling for more "vigorous" checks for ailing drivers.
Anne Rance, 55, and Lucy Wyles, 23, both required emergency surgery following the head-on collision in December 2021.
The 79-year-old driver of the other vehicle, who is understood to have had a declining mental capacity at the time of the crash, also survived.
The pair are now campaigning to get the rules around disclosing health conditions to the DVLA changed.
Currently, drivers are expected to notify the agency about any issues and can be fined if this doesn't happen. Doctors can also disclose information about patients if they deem it to be in the public interest.
But Rance and Wyles are calling for more scrutiny in the system - claiming it is too easy for people to fall through the cracks.
Rance said: "The accident was caused by a person who should never have been allowed behind the wheel of a car.
"We want to stop anything like this happening to anyone else."
Rance and Wyles, her son's girlfriend, were driving on the A24 near Horsham, West Sussex in December 2021 when an oncoming car veered on to their side of the road at 70mph, they say.
The vehicles collided - leaving all three people involved injured.
Wyles, who was driving, was knocked unconscious and eventually came round in the hospital.
Her arm was shattered, she had a pelvis fracture, blood clots and facial damage, while Rance suffered a bowel perforation and other various fractures.
Both required major surgery and Rance has been unable to return to her jobs as a cleaner and hairdresser because of an injury to her wrist.
Wyles had to relearn to walk.
Rance said: "Lucy was driving, everything was fine - and then I just saw a sudden flash. It was a head-on collision.
"I didn't pass out, but she was out cold, and the car was crumpled up against the side of the road.
"I started panicking, and as soon as I got out of the car, I collapsed to the floor.
"My injuries were more internal, and I suffered perforations of the bowels - leaving me in need of emergency surgery which has left me with long-term health issues.
"Lucy's injuries were worse, and parts of her arm bone were spread across the road from where it shattered on impact.
"And her pelvis fracture means she's had to relearn to walk - it's been a long road to recovery for us both."
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A police investigation into the incident revealed the mental state of the elderly man involved in the crash was declining and it is believed he was later diagnosed with dementia.
He survived the crash but is since believed to have died.
Rance and Wyles are still fighting for compensation, but say they are more concerned with changing the laws around driving.
Rance is campaigning to make it a legal requirement for doctors to tell the DVLA about a patient’s condition if it made it unsafe for them to drive, and has launched this petition for the campaign to be discussed in Parliament.
Currently patients are advised to inform the DVLA and insurers of such conditions, but there is no obligation to do this or checks to ensure that this has been done..
The campaign has gained traction and has won the support of their MP, Andrew Griffith.
Rance, from Storrington, West Sussex said: "More vigorous checks are needed when people reach a certain age where they may not be safe to be on the roads anymore. Currently, pensioners just need to fill in a form themselves stating they're fit to drive, but it's not scrutinised enough.
"We're proposing another mandatory test should be taken at 70 years old - something like this would save lives.
"We're hoping we can get to the point where the topic is debated in parliament, but we need people's support to get us there."
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Drivers must ensure they are medically fit to drive, and face fines if they do not notify the DVLA about a condition that could affect this.
“In addition, doctors have a duty to report their patient to the DVLA if it is in the public interest to do so.”
