Drivers over 70 may be faced with a new driving test if government proposals are put into action, as an insurance company reveals that they are three times more likely to crash. There are more than three million drivers aged 71 and over in the country, and an unbelievable 312 aged over 101.
The number of elderly drivers is rising quickly, and the DVLA has raised concerns over safety after a spate of embarrassing accidents. The new test would involve a written exam and a sight test, although a Parliamentary transport advisor said the government will tread carefully because ‘the grey vote is so powerful.’
There has been a 10 per cent increase in the number of older drivers since 2005, and the government and local councils are keen to prevent accidents caused by old-age negligence. Examples include 76 year-old Annie Dunlop forgetting her hearing aid and colliding with seven vehicles when she couldn’t hear her engine, and Joan Gordon of Essex driving down the wrong carriageway of the A1.