The results of a survey have suggested that more than two-thirds (67%) of drivers in the UK believe that once licence holders reach a certain age, they should be required to retake their practical driving test.
The survey was carried out by ? Uswitch car insurance, who recently launched a new Senior driving hub to provide information, data and tips for elderly drivers.
According to the survey, the generation that supported this the most were millennials (those aged 28-43 years) with over three-quarters (79%) of them agreeing that this should be mandatory.
When asking senior drivers if they agree, just over two-fifths (45%) of those aged 65+ years think retesting should be required.
In the UK, there are no age-based requirements to stop driving or retake your test when you reach a certain age, or have held your license for a number of years. When a driver reaches 70, they just have to reapply for their licence every 3 years, without having to take a test.
When asked what age respondents thought senior drivers should retest, the most popular age range selected was 70-74 (33%). Additionally, almost half (49%) think senior drivers should have to retake every 2-3 years, and only 4% think they should only have to retake their test once.
Top reason for supporting retesting included slower reaction times (64%), sight issues (62%), deteriorated health (52%), deteriorated attention (51%) and deteriorated driving performance (44%).
If such a requirement were brought in, the government will need to stop saying we are all living longer and using it as an excuse to keep putting up the retirement age. It won’t be long until the retirement age is 80. I would say if you don’t qualify for state pension then your age should not preclude you from driving a van for a living. Or your car to get to work. Maybe it would be a good idea to retest everybody every 5 years as ill health is not confined to the elderly. Also being “OLD” seems to get redefined by the UK government every few years anyway.
Gordon Beaumont, Leeds
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