Are elderly drivers worse, or more at risk than any other age group?

Should they face retests to prove their fitness for driving?

Calls are growing for elderly motorists to face regular testing.

A website aimed at helping older people adapt to changes in their driving to stay safe on the road, was launched last month by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

The site has been set up to provide advice and information for older drivers in a bid to help them to drive safely for longer.

It gives tips on how people can update their driving skills and knowledge to maintain their freedom and independence on the road, as well as advice for families or friends who are concerned about a loved one’s driving.

The move comes as new guidelines have been issued by the General Medical Council advising doctors to inform the DVLA if a patient is medically unfit to drive.

It’s a decision that is most likely to affect elderly drivers. Between 1975 and 2010, the number of registered drivers in the UK over the age of 70 more than quadrupled.

According to latest figures, by the end of March 2015 there were approximately 4.3 million licence holders aged 70-plus on our roads.

The law requires those drivers aged 70 and older to renew their driving licence every three years, but not to be tested.

Cumbria County Council runs a well-established Drive Safer for Longer scheme for older drivers.

Mature motorists can take a free assessment on their skills and safety on the road.

Some come through with flying colours, others are told to brush up on certain areas and some are told it would be best to hand their keys in.


Chris Broadbent Chris Broadbent, road safety co-ordinator of the Cumbria Road Safety Partnership which runs the scheme, says only five people a week attend across the county.

“It could be more. There is no age at which an older driver should stop driving.

“It is common sense for older drivers to be tested. Everyone ages at a different rate, but who tests and how is a different issue.

“Our priority groups for road safety are motorcyclists and young drivers but there are going to be more older drivers on the roads than ever before.

“There is no specific increase in accidents involving older drivers, we are trying to be proactive.

“The council thought we needed to counteract the lack of decision-making at a higher level. The whole issue is a bit grey.”

George Cairns is one of the testers.

The 67-year-old chairman of the Carlisle and West Cumbria branch of Advanced Motorists fears that older people tend to ignore diminishing eyesight and other ailments that may affect their driving because their car is their only means of transport and independence.

He says the number of older drivers is a growing issue in the county as our population continues to age and older people live for longer.

“In a rural area, the need for a licence is a major thing.

“When you have people who have been independent all their lives, it is incredibly difficult for them to hold their hands up and say, ‘I will go by bus now’.

“The free driving training offered to elderly people is not being taken up enough because people think they will find a problem they don’t know about and risk losing their licence. I probably see one a month when it should be 10 a day.

“I would doubt if we even covered 10 per cent of the elderly driving population in Cumbria.

“I have seen some really good drivers and some dead scary.”


George Cairns Mr Cairns says he has been involved in family conferences as a result of testing an older family member.

“The family have been able to sit down afterwards and persuade the older driver to give up their car keys.”

Derrick Martin of Workington was a driver for the rural wheels volunteer taxi service run by the county council.

The 76-year-old still drives for some elderly ladies who can’t use public transport or don’t live near bus services.

He knows of some drivers who struggle with their sight, but are still driving and says: “If they told the truth, half of them would not be driving.

“They keep doing it because it is what they have always done.

“Retesting is a good idea, it keeps everyone up to date, but I’m sure the statistics prove that more young people have accidents than older drivers.

“Every day I see silly things done by people who are not 70-plus.”

Mothers driving on the school run are a major threat, according to Mr Martin.

“It is like a race track at school time. What a change there was last week when it was half-term.”

Mr Cairns also believes more should be done to ensure our young and first-time drivers are properly safe and secure on the roads.

Weblinks:

Drive Safer for Longer: www.crsp.co.uk
RoSPA: www.olderdrivers.org.uk

He urges parents to ensure their children undergo the Pass Plus driving scheme so they get a wider driving experience. 

He explains: “A new driver may never have driven at night or on the motorway.”

While he reckons re-testing older drivers on a regular basis to ensure their safety on the road is necessary, Mr Broadbent doubts it will be introduced.

“It will never happen because of the administration and costs involved.”

Mr Cairns agrees, saying there are just not enough qualified testers to carry out the work, adding: “There should not be a restest but an assessment to flag up areas of concern. The best you are going to get is a council like Cumbria to recognise there is a need and offer this type of instruction, though that may fall on deaf ears.”