News & Features
Calls for Drivers Over 65 to Retake their Test
Posted in General News on Tuesday, February 20th, 2024
A public consultation has opened requesting that the law be changed so that drivers must pass a driving test to continue driving once they reach the age of 65. This petition currently has less than 500 signatures from people supporting the idea. If it obtains 1,000 signatures the law change will be considered by parliament. Steve Gooding, from the RAC Foundation said: One thing that would allow all drivers not just those at an arbitrary old age to help judge their fitness to drive would be compulsory eye tests when licences are renewed. President of the AA, Edmund King commented: “It is very difficult for new drivers right now,” he stated. “There is a 500,000 [test] backlog in several places and there is a six-month delay.” The petition can be viewed here https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/642612.
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Rob Heywood
Wednesday, February, 21st, 2024
Ridiculous. Is there any hard evidence that drivers over 65 are a greater risk than drivers under 25? Much better if they brought in compulsory lower speed limits for newly qualified drivers, reduce alcohol limit to zero and limited engine size. An eye test when renewing the licence is probably a good idea.
ChrisK
Monday, February, 26th, 2024
A bit of a joke really but yes I’m sure we all agree there are “some” older drivers that should have given up driving a week after they passed their test but looking at how “some” younger drivers drive today with one eye on the smartphone and the need to introduce 20MPH limits sort of sums it up. I see it regularly nearly every time I drive with folk wondering into the on coming lane or into the gutter or in the left lane lane when they mean to turn right. I see at least once a year delivery drivers delivering to houses in my street that forget to put the hand brake on but all have been lucky with nothing more than a small bump on a parked cars but one thing in common is, there all very young drivers and no over 65’s. The insurance business prices its premiums on the risks they take so funny as you get older insurance becomes cheaper, speaks for itself.
Shirley Wilkinson
Monday, February, 26th, 2024
What and where are the statistics for this to be thought a good idea to retest drivers of the age of 65. It states there is a backlog of 500,000 tests, so to add to that number, it’s proposed to retest all over 65 year olds??? Sure this is discrimination against the aged.
P. MACHIN
Thursday, March, 7th, 2024
It would be much ,much better for anybody who became disabled at 65 or over to be eligible to apply for a motorbility car instead of being excluded for life Where as if you become disabled at 64 or before you are not excluded from applying and being eligible until you die!!