To drive or not to drive…?
News from our partners Safer Roads Partnership
The changing dynamics in today’s society means that the number of older drivers is set to rise. The Safer Roads Partnership is joining up with Age UK locally to raise awareness of issues surrounding older drivers.
We often hear of stories in the national media about elderly drivers being involved in collisions; heading up the wrong way on a motorway or going for short journeys and getting lost miles away from their destination. In some ways the prominence that these stories gets is often unfair as older drivers are relatively safe, and are statistically less likely to be involved in collisions compared to their younger counterparts1.
This may be in part due to the fact that older drivers tend to have more experience and self regulate their driving by avoiding more risky situations, choosing not to drive at night, driving less and more cautiously than other road users, and avoiding certain types of roads, eg motorways.
However, there is no avoiding the issue that if involved in a collision, injuries with older drivers tend to be more serious and recovery takes a lot longer. Unfortunately over the age of 75 the fatality rate increases for those that do suffer injuries in collisions2.
Legally, once over the age of 70 your full driving licence expires and you are required to renew your licence and for every 3 years thereafter. Contrary to some beliefs you do not have to retake your test; it is purely your responsibility to ensure that you are still fit to drive. This may mean thinking about your health, checking your eyesight and generally thinking about your confidence and ability.
To help with this Age UK have recently launched a new self-help guide “In The Driving Seat” that outlines what drivers need to know in order to stay driving for longer. Maintaining the mobility of older people is important to meet social inclusion and general well-being, and particularly within our rural communities. This guide includes advice on many things such as what health conditions need declaring, extra training that may be available if needed and, if it comes to it, alternatives to driving that could be available.
Vicki Bristow, Communications Manager for the Safer Roads Partnership said:
“Keeping our motorists safe on the road whatever age they are is our key priority, and anything that helps our older drivers keep safe is welcomed. This guide from Age UK gives really good practical advice and a list of useful organisations to get further assistance.”
Robert Smith, Information and Advice Manager, Age UK Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, said:
“We produce a range of guides to help people as their circumstances or situation changes. This new guide highlights some of the things people may wish to consider and includes lots of helpful details about organisations that can provide information and advice about your options.”
Anyone wishing to get their own copy of this free guide can request one by contacting Age UK Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin on 01743 233123.
Further information
1. Approximately 5% of collisions in West Mercia involve someone over the age of 70.
2. Those aged 75 and over have a death rate of 114 over 100,000 caused by accidents compared to a death rate of 21 per 100,000 in all other age groups (ref nice.org.uk)
3. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) puts those that continue to drive beyond the age of 70 at around three million drivers.
The overall aim of the Safer Roads Partnership is to reduce the number of casualties and make the roads safer for all users in West Mercia and Warwickshire through speed enforcement and by seeking to change attitudes and behaviour. The Safer Roads Partnership provides a framework for its partner agencies to work together to achieve this aim.
