Drivers Over 50 Could Fail Retest

A survey has found that one in five motorists over the age of 50 believe they would fail their driving test if they had to retake it today. Due to the ageing population in Britain, there are more older drivers on the road as ever before with the average older driving having taken their test 40 years ago. Nearly half of those are over 70 and passed their test more than half a century ago when road safety was not of as paramount importance as it is today.

There have been various stories of older drivers driving without glasses when they need them, keeping both feet on the brake and gas pedals and even falling asleep on the wheel.

Last year, controversial research by Auto Trader suggested the majority of drivers want a compulsory retest when people reach pension age. However, official statistics from the Department of Transport show those over 70 are safer drivers than young drivers.

A poll found that 16% of 60-69-year-olds believe that people should be forced to stop driving at the age of 80 with many drivers taking themselves off the road voluntarily. However, many elderly drivers do remain on the road with a lower standard of driving than that required by the modern-day driving test.

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