‘Driving Course, Targeted At The Elderly’

A free driving course is to be offered to elderly drivers, to help ensure they can continue to drive as they age.

It is said to be targeted at older motorists to help them maintain their driving independence for as long as possible. The Safer Essex Roads Partnership scheme has been created to help people over the age of 70 – born before 1954 – stay confident in the drivers seat, growing their confidence when dealing with different driving situations. Such as traffic volumes and speeds.

The course would not act in anyway as a driving test or impact the participants current license, it is solely designed to aid confidence.

The scheme can be adapted to the individual including the following :

• Navigating roundabouts and junctions
• Driving on motorways and dual carriage ways
• Driving at night
• improving knowledge on road signs and markings

The following is from The Safer Essex Roads website:

The Safer Essex Roads Partnership has brought together organisations across Greater Essex, to provide a road safety service.

SERP partners comprise Essex Police, Essex Fire and Rescue Service, Essex County Council, Southend City Council, Thurrock Council, National Highways, The Police Fire & Crime Commissioner for Essex, The Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust, The East of England Ambulance Trust and The Safer Roads Foundation.

Our aims

The partnership’s purpose is to lead on the reduction of death and serious injury on Essex roads towards zero. This is an ambitious vision and one which we cannot tackle alone – each road user plays a part.

We have set a challenging interim target to reduce death and serious injuries by 70% from the baseline average of 2005-2009, by 2030. This equates to fewer than 415 deaths and serious injuries.

By 2022, a 40% reduction had been achieved, with 822 deaths and serious injuries recorded for the year.

The reason for the ambitious target is that 826 lives cut short, permanently changed, or involved in serious injury resulting in hospitalization and time off work each year, is far too high. Many more lives – of the families and friends of those injured – are also changed in the instant their loved one is injured in a road traffic collision.

In 2023, there were 41 deaths, 819 serious injuries (more than two per day) and 2,795 slight injuries (more than 7 each day).

Research indicates that for every injury collision reported to the police, there are 10 damage-only collisions, so that’s over 100 crashes in Essex every day.

Our plan

We promote road safety and casualty reduction through a number of activities, interventions, programmes and products, which involve a combination of education, engagement, engineering and enforcement. You can find out more about how we will aim to achieve Vision Zero, through our Vision Zero strategy.

At Britannia we offer refresher courses which is also tailored to the individuals driving needs.