More than one million drivers in the UK are over 80 years old
By in
New statistics from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency report that in excess of one million drivers in Britain are over the age of eighty.
In addition, there are more than 120 motorists over a hundred years old, all of whom have never been required to pass a driving test since the system was implemented in 1935.
The new numbers highlight the fact that Britain’s driving population as a whole is aging, and reemphasizes the possible need to take a new look at laissez faire policies. Currently, drivers are required to renew driving licenses at the age of 70, and every three years concurrently. No medical testing is required for this to happen, however doctors are encouraged to report conditions that would impair an elderly driver’s ability to operate a motor vehicle to the DVLA.
Thus far, requests that elderly drivers ought to be given driving tests before getting issued a new license have been denied. So have ones requesting a ban for senior drivers on motorways, and for others suggesting larger letters on road signs.
Despite concerns that elderly drivers can be substandard and dangerous, statistics from the Institute of Advanced Motorists support the opposite. Claiming a crash rate three times less than new drivers aged 17 to 19, seniors are some of the safest drivers on the road.
Simon Best, the institute’s chief executive, has stated that seniors rely on roadways and driving for the same things that everyone else does, and unless an individual becomes a safety concern, they ought not be deprived the basic right to drive that everyone else enjoys.
He maintains that alternative to banning seniors from the roads, it might be helpful instead to provide updated risk awareness training and driving analysis to assist in eradicating faulty driving natures.
The Parliamentary Advisor Council for Transport Safety’s executive director Robert Gifford, added that an assessment for seniors involved in accidents resulting in penalizing points on their driving record ought to be considered, which may enlighten some elderly drivers to consider giving up driving for themselves. He also noted, however, that by and large, contrary to popular belief elderly drivers are less a risk to others than they are to them.
