Older UK drivers told to ‘stop driving’ today

Top mechanic Scotty Kilmer has said that all older drivers get to a point where they should be pulling themselves off the road. He explained that drivers tend to become a “danger to themselves” once they reach a certain age and should hand in their driving licence. The previous comment from the specialist is even more timely as officials consider new rules to check the safety of elderly road users.

As well as putting themselves at risk of being hurt, staying behind the wheel too could put other individuals in danger. There is no maximum driving age currently in place across the UK, meaning individuals can stay behind the wheel regardless if they are 80, 90 or 100.

Meanwhile, the UK is one of the only countries in the EU that relies on self-verification with no mandatory assessments or checks on older drivers currently in place.

Scotty made the assessment on his YouTube channel as he explained that of his customers had intervened and physically taken a car off their parents.

Scotty said: “The guy's daughter had to finally take the car away from him because he wasn’t able to drive anymore. You get to a point where you’ve got to stop driving. One of these days I'll probably be at that stage and I’ll probably be infuriated, but hey. If you’re a danger to yourself and others and you start running into things all the time, it’s time to stop driving.”

Earlier this week, reports revealed that officials were looking into the introduction of compulsory eye-sight checks for the over-70s.

The rule could see individuals forced to undergo eye checks at their driving licence renewal around every three years to keep hold of their freedoms. However, some have gone further with campaigners also calling for rulemakers to ponder whether a maximum driving limit could be launched.

A previous poll from motoring experts at Carmoola found 36% of 2,000 drivers surveyed felt there should be a maximum age cut-off in place.

John Kushnick, Legal Operations Director at National Accident Helpline, said that banning drivers from the road when they reach somewhere in their 80s could be the safest option.

He said: "Driving fitness should become a routine part of health assessments and everyday culture, with medical changes reported far earlier. A maximum driving age should also be introduced, likely somewhere in the 80s, due to the potential for rapid health deterioration."