Drivers aged 60 and over might need to take a road safety assessment in order to stay behind the wheel, depending on the results of a new study.
The study, by experts from the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), is funded by the Road Safety Trust. Contributors include representatives from The Older Driver Task Force (ODTF), the Older Drivers Forum, and the University of Warwick.
The study will investigate whether standardised tests for mature drivers are viable and how they might improve road safety. The project will be carried out over a couple of years and, if successful, recommendations will be made on how the tests should be introduced.
Multiple authorities across the country have already introduced classes to support older drivers who are struggling. However, there’s been little evidence to indicate that these programmes actually improve road safety, and as a result, no consistent national approach has been adopted.
Rob Heard, chair and founder of the Older Drivers Forum, expressed his support for the project: “As we age, we can become complacent about our driving and may pick up bad habits. We have long believed that a driving assessment is a great way for drivers as they age to understand if they are still safe to drive and assist with those losing confidence in their driving.
“We have been concerned that many of the non-medical appraisals or assessments vary in standard, cost and length which can cause confusion. We fully support this project to evaluate a standardised mature driving assessment and look forward to hearing its findings.”
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