Strategy is urged for older drivers

The number of older motorists holding driving licences has risen considerably in recent years, the report from the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (Pacts) said.

But it added that reductions in the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads have fallen far more slowly among older drivers.

The report said that while only 15 per cent of over-70s held a driving licence in 1975, the figure for 2010 was nearly 60 per cent.

Also, 80 per cent of current 60 to 69-year-olds hold licences and will continue to drive for around the next 20 years. More than 80 per cent of 30 to 39-year-olds are licence holders and will drive until at least 2050.

Pacts said: “The report therefore concludes that older road users are here to stay and that a national strategy for an ageing population is vital.”

The report also drew the distinction between road users who were at risk and who posed a risk to others. Older road users tended to be in the former group, it said.

Pacts executive director Robert Gifford said: “Over the next decade the balance of the population in this country will change. Older people need to be kept mobile and safe. I hope that this report will generate a national discussion about the state of our pavements and the relevance of self-regulation when it comes to giving up your driving licence.”