Elderly driver spike causes concern

Motoring groups are calling for action after it was revealed that there are more than 10,000 new drivers aged over 70 per month.

Figures reveal that there are 4.34 million licence holders over 70 on the roads, compared to 3.9m in 2012. Britain's oldest licence holder is aged 107.

The Institute of Advanced Motoring (IAM) believes that the rise in older motorists is due to a longer lifespan, with Government figures predicting that in 20 years time there will be a senior population of 9.5m Brits aged over 75.

"People are living longer and therefore there are many more drivers on the roads that are past retirement age,” said Sarah Sillars, IAM chief executive officer. “We want these drivers to enjoy their motoring for as long as possible, so we want some thought and resources to go into how we can allow this to happen."

Research from the IAM suggests that common factors in accidents involving older drivers include a failure to correctly judge the direction or speed of other motorists, illness, nerves and anxiety.

To improve safety, the IAM is calling for a review into how vehicle design and in-car tech can help the over-70s on the road. It also wants better-targeted learning resources for older drivers.

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