Older drivers can lead by example on the roads

From: JW Smith, Sutton-on-Sea.

I DO wish reports on surveys were made accurate. Under the heading “age limit for driving licence backed” (Yorkshire Post, November 28) it stated more than three in five “drivers” supported the issue.

This is not true; it should have said three in five of a very small number questioned supported the issue. It quotes a surveyed number of 1,005 adults (not drivers) from which it is possible some could be non-motorists.

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The survey mentions 16 to 24-year-olds being included. Since when have 16-year-olds been classed as adults? If I remember correctly, they cannot even hold a licence. So far as driving experience is concerned, it seems a good proportion of those surveyed were still in their nappies.

Too many young drivers pass the test and think they know it all. Passing the test does not make you a good driver. It is the beginning of a learning process that due to changing conditions and vehicles never stops.

Furthermore, I could not quote overall stopping distances, but I always make sure I know the limitations of my own vehicle.

Why not do a survey across all the insurance companies and find out whether they consider us “oldies” to be a problem?

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Next time out on the road count the number of vehicles with defective lights; count the number travelling without lights in poor visibility; count the number using fog lights in good visibility; count the number using mobile phones and count the number of breaking speed limits.

Then, when you get home, try to remember how many of them appeared to be over 65. Count the number of times you see HGVs travelling nose-to-tail on A and B roads. Not one of these is driven by a “wrinkly”!

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