Older drivers have been told to “give up their driving licence” and stay off the roads later in life if they are unsafe behind the wheel. The Older Drivers Forum stressed that road users should not be on the roads if they are a danger to themselves and other individuals.
The specialists warn that getting behind the wheel for the sake of it could be very dangerous, with road users urged to “stop driving” if they think their skills are no longer up to scratch. The Older Drivers Forum is one of the leading voices for elderly road users and accepts that vehicles are key to individuals retaining freedom and independence later in life. However, they stressed it was “simply no longer possible” for road users to carry on driving for the sake of it if they know they are struggling.
The Older Drivers Forum explained: “The time may come when it is simply no longer possible for you to continue to drive safely, and for your own sake, and the sake of other people on the road, you must stop driving, and give up your driving licence.
“If you carry on driving when you are no longer safe to do so, you would be putting yourself, and other people (your passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and people in other vehicles) at risk.”
In the UK, there is no mandatory cut-off date that older drivers have to give up a driving licence. Road users simply have to renew their DVLA photocard driving licence every three years and must report any medical conditions that may impair their skills behind the wheel.
Some conditions may involve further investigations with some road users likely to have their licence revoked on medical grounds if experts consider them a danger.
The Older Drivers Forum added: If you carry on driving when you are no longer safe to do so, you would be putting yourself, and other people (your passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and people in other vehicles) at risk.
“Giving up your driving licence does not mean that you will lose your freedom and mobility, as there are many alternatives to driving, and if you no longer use your car very much, it may make good financial sense to give it up and use the money you save for other ways of getting about.”