There's
a report today that a government task force is expected to recommend raising the age at which drivers are required to renew their licence from 70 to 75.
Quote:
Pensioners should not have to renew their driving license until they are 75 because people are living longer, according to an official review.
The Older Drivers Task Force, which will present its findings in July, is expected to recommend lawmakers relax the upper limit on driving licenses of 70.
The report will say that the age limit has failed to keep pace with improvements in life expectancy and the fact that older drivers are generally safer than those who are younger.
Pensioners can be put off renewing their license when they reach 70, robbing many OAPs of their independence.
Drivers are legally required to declare any disabilities they have after the age of 70 and prove they can still read a license plate 70ft away.
They must reapply for their license every three years.
John Plowman, the chairman of the Older Drivers Task Force, told The Daily Telegraph that he will recommend that pensioners should be allowed to continue driving for "as long as possible".
He said: "We want older drivers to stay driving for as long as possible we don't want to put them off.
"The key point is that we are living longer and they healthier. If you tell them to think about driving assessments they may well just give up driving which puts them at risk.
"They lose the social contacts that they had, they are more likely to get depressed and isolated and put a greater burden on the care system.
"Older drivers are generally safer than others. There are some who would be only too happy to rubbish older drivers and their capabilities.
"Older drivers do appear quite high in the fatalities list because they are more fragile, but that is not because they are at fault."
Rare to see a proposal to relax *any* restriction