Clare accepts that older age was “absolutely a factor” in her mother’s accident after learning Geraldine was struggling to manoeuvre before the incident. Calling for change, Clare told the BBC: “You can’t really rely on the individual to do that… especially if it’s their only way of getting out.”
In the UK, there are no upper age limits in place with motorists only required to renew their driving licence every three years after the age of 70 to stay on the roads.
However, there is no system of checking whether older road users are actually safe to continue if self-verification came back clear. It means individuals worried about losing their freedoms could remain behind the wheel despite the possible risks.
Clare added that the rules around older drivers were “unsafe and inadequate” and called for an urgent overhaul.
Department for Transport (DfT) data clearly shows the danger with older road users accounting for a quarter of those killed on the roads, despite making up just 14% of licence holders. Older drivers above the age 70 also accounted for 16% of serious injuries in road traffic accidents in 2023.
Clare added: “I never thought I would have to say the words ‘my mum’s been killed in a car crash. I don’t think my mum ever would have thought she needed to stop driving because there were too many things that depended on her being out in a car.”
Rob Heard, founder of the Older Drivers Forum, stressed older drivers have a “wealth of experience” on the road but were generally more at risk.
According to the BBC, he said: “As we age, our relative frailty means that older drivers are often over-represented in serious injury collisions, particularly for the age group of 80 and above.”