Statement on older drivers

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK said:

“Age is a pretty poor indicator of driving ability and the truth is that some people are better drivers than others regardless of age. It is also important to remember that there are more older drivers on the road today than ever before and overall their safety record is very good - in fact on average they are less likely to have an accident than younger drivers.

 "As we get older the time may well come when the right thing to do is to hang up the car keys, because illness, disability or frailty means we no longer feel safe or confident to drive. This is a big decision for anyone to make, because of the importance of driving for self-esteem and for independence but, of course, we all have to take responsibility for ourselves on the road. Families and friends have a role to play as well in helping older people decide when its best to stop driving and there is useful advice on our website too.

 "We certainly don't think there is a place for arbitrary upper age limits for driving - the evidence suggests this would unfairly penalise many older people who are perfectly capable of driving safely, without making a significant impact on road safety standards overall."