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Half of Brits want older drivers banned from roads with compulsory retests at 60
Currently, elderly drivers only have to renew their licence when they turn seventy
A survey has revealed that almost half of Brits want older drivers banned from the road as well as compulsory retests after a certain age.
The study, carried out by CarTakeBack.com and YouGov, found that most people believe ‘older drivers don’t have fast enough reaction times’, with 49% wanting a full ban on elderly drivers and compulsory retesting for those over the age of sixty.
The majority of people thought the compulsory test retakes should occur between the ages of seventy-one and seventy-five, with 10% of people calling for all drivers to be banned after the age of eighty-six, and 14% calling for a ban on anyone over the age of ninety.
Meanwhile, a third of younger drivers want compulsory retests for anyone over sixty.
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Currently, drivers are required by law to renew their licence at the age of seventy. Following this, they then need to renew it every three years afterwards.
A spokesperson from road safety charity Brake said: “For older drivers, licence renewal at seventy prompts them to check and self-certify they are fit to drive but this process can be improved.
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“The Government needs to look at how fitness to drive regulation can be more rigorously enforced, such as compulsory eyesight testing throughout a driver’s career, rather than simply expecting drivers to self-certify that they are fit to drive.”
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, added: “Allowing older drivers to remain mobile is critical to their mental and physical wellbeing, but so is safety.
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“A system which helps people address their shortcomings rather than simply penalises them could help maintain this balance.
“Most older drivers are very safe and self-regulate their driving, avoiding travelling at night or during rush hour, for example.
“But any encouragement we can all be given to reassess our ability to drive safely should be welcomed, not just after an incident but throughout our driving lives.”