In an opinion piece for The Sun, Jeremy Clarkson pens down the hypocrisy and some meaningless road laws that are enforced on the streets of UK. And in doing so, Top Gear's presenter and motoring journalist calls for Prince Philip to lose his license after the crash.
The Duke of Edinburgh, 97, got into a crash near his house in Sandringham, while making a turn at the A149 expressway. A nine- month old baby along with her 28 year old mother were in the car during the time of the accident. Another woman, 45, was also with the Duke, she suffered a broken arm and an injured knee. The child was unhurt. "We ignore the women and the baby in the people carrier and sit back in wide-eyed wonderment that a 97-year-old man can simply walk away after rolling his Land Rover," Clarkson ranted.
The crash has sparked a debate about the age by which people should give up on driving.
"What the bloody hell is a man of that age doing behind the wheel of a car?" Clarkson asks. He pointed out how figures from Sussex has shown that 12 percent of the accidents that take place are by 70 year old people. He also points out that the current law which requires motorists over 70 year olds to take a test every three year to continue driving "At present, is a joke."
"I appreciate, of course, that testing all of the nation's elderly every year would cost the NHS a fortune but I do think that families could get involved," Clarkson says. He also recalls about one of trip to Guidford where her mother had to stop her BMW at every junction during the journey because the road signs were confusing. "I should have said something. I should have done something. But I didn't," he cites.
But whatever be the scene, the fact is Prince Philip's crash has invite a lot of criticism about the driving age limit in UK.
"Mrs Queen, however, is a wise old bird. As far as I know she hasn't put a foot wrong in her entire life.Let's hope she keeps that up now, and sends her husband's licence back to Swansea," concludes Clarkson.
