Elderly Drivers' Safety Check

This week, 2nd — 6th October, is Older Drivers' Awareness Week. Transport for Buckinghamshire is promoting its Mature Driver Assessments which are available to book through the County Council website.

Assessments cost £37 and involve a relaxed one hour drive in your own car with an approved driving instructor, on roads familiar to you. The purpose of the assessment is to help older drivers refresh their skills, regain some confidence, and ultimately help them keep driving safely for longer.

County Councillor Mark Shaw, Cabinet Member for Transportation, describes the assessments as "an MOT for the driver!"

"It's just good sense to stay on top of your driving health, as you would with your eyes, ears, joints, heart and blood pressure. Driving assessments are just a great way of making sure you're still driving safely. Assessors can't remove a driver's licence, it's not a legal test — it's just a chance to tune up your skills and ensure you retain a vital bit of independence for as long as you can".

If you, or someone you know, could benefit from an older driver assessment you can book one through Transport for Buckinghamshire. Email roadsafety@buckscc.gov.uk, call the contact centre on 01296 382416, or book onkline via the county council website.

Older driver facts:

There are over 1.2million drivers aged 80 or over in the UK.
Over the age of 70, motorists need to renew licence every three years
Casualty rates increase for car drivers aged over about 65, and the fatality rate increases significantly
(source: olderdriversforum.com)