No need for driving test for older car insurance customers, says expert

Thu, 15 Apr 2010

A campaign group has said that it would be a mistake to make older car insurance customers retake their driving tests.

The Royal Automobile Club (RAC) foundation said that doing so would not actually make roads safer, while policing it would be difficult.

It also pointed out that people aged over 70 are extremely reliant on their vehicles, with 63 per cent of all trips by this demographic made either as a driver or passenger.

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "Despite the myths older drivers are no less safe than other age groups. Retesting in this way could also contravene recently passed equality legislation .

"It is in everybody's interest to keep older people mobile for as long as they are safe to do so."

He added that refresher training would be a better option while the organisation is also calling for better signage and larger traffic light lenses to help older drivers.

Research by Age Concern recently showed that half of insurers automatically exclude drivers aged over 80 from buying their products.
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