(Image Source: Flickr)
Are you ever too old to drive? At 103 years of age Eileen Ash is one of Britain’s oldest drivers – and what is perhaps even more remarkable is the fact she has never taken a driving test. Miss Ash is one of a number of drivers about to appear on an ITV show called 100 Year Old Drivers Ride Again.
Speaking on the show Miss Ash said, “I love driving, and just being free I think! Being on four wheels and going where I want to go. For my age, I’m pretty lucky. I haven’t many aches and pains although my knees are beginning to creak a bit, but you put up with those sorts of things.”
Elderly Instructors
Other drivers featured on the documentary include 95 year old driving instructor Laura Thomas who over the years has taught nearly everyone in her home town how to drive, including 4 generations of the same family. She says, “I’ve taught thousands and thousands. I used to be doing about ten a day. There are so many people learning and wanting lessons that I couldn’t retire! As long as I feel I can do it and they want me, I will.”
UK driving licences were first introduced in 1903. However, aspiring drivers were not required to take a test to acquire one. In 1935 it became compulsory for all drivers to be tested, but those who already held licences were exempt from ever having to take the test.
The Rules for Elderly Drivers
There is no legal age when an elderly motorist must quit driving. The Government encourages a policy of self regulation, believing it is up to the individual driver to decide when they must stop. According to the Department of Transport there are currently 241 drivers in the UK aged over 100, and 19 of those are aged over 103. The oldest person in the UK with a driving licence is aged 107.
At the age of 70 drivers must re-apply for a new driving licence which must be renewed every 3 years; however there is no re-testing of driving skills and no medical assessment. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents offers the Experienced Driver Assessment to older drivers to allow them to refresh their skills. Certain medical conditions such as heart problems and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome must be reported to the DVLA.
Accident Stats
There is some concern that older drivers cause accidents when out on the road either through loss of skills or declining health. However, statistics from The Department of Transport reveal a different story. 8 percent of drivers in the UK are aged over 70, and they are only involved in 4 percent of accidents which result in injury. 15 percent of UK drivers in their teens and twenties are involved in 34 percent of crashes which result in someone being injured. It just goes to show that younger drivers could possibly learn a thing or two from their older friends who have never even passed the driving test.
