The Institute for Advanced Motorists is now asking that a new licence class be created for older drivers that allows them to stay mobile and independent, but protects them from high risk roads.
The IAM’s director of policy, Neil Greig, stated that the licence class would not ban older drivers from the road, but instead be created in align with medical studies that show older motorists may be a risk to others, as well as themselves, on roads with high speed limits.
Greig continued to say that this is a positive way to keep older drivers behind the wheel by allowing them to continue to drive on roads that they are familiar with instead of taking away their licence. He also stated that the new licence would not be centred around a certain age limit, but instead be the result of medical advice on a case by case basis.
The push for the new licence group follows a study that looked at police crash data over the last seven years. It showed that older drivers were often much safer drivers than youngsters on local roads, but in areas where traffic was moving at a faster rate they were a higher risk.
At the present, a driving licence stays valid until age 70, after which it must be renewed every three years, with the applicant answering a questionnaire to prove they are still capable of driving.
Any announcement about the matter is expected before the election; with the news that now all drivers need to recertify their ability to drive every ten years.
