According to new research published by Startline last month, 80% of drivers support voluntary driving tests for over 60s.
The findings, which emerged as part of Startline’s monthly research around used car sentiments, found that most drivers were open to standardised mature driver assessments. These measures are supported by both the Road Safety Trust and Older Driver Task Force.
When asked for further clarification, 59% of respondents explained that mature assessments would help drivers understand if they are still safe on the roads.
38% of participants believed that voluntary driving tests could help with insurance costs while 36% felt that with more older drivers on the roads, these examinations could be useful to help ensure road safety.
While 47% said that they would happily take the assessment themselves, 9% of respondents said they would never take the assessment and 7% argued that people should just be left to carry on driving.
Some 33% of respondents held the view that many older drivers shouldn’t still be on the road and 32% suspected that those who most needed to take the assessment would avoid it.
CEO at Startline Motor Finance, Paul Burgess, said: “Mature driver assessments are a really interesting idea for improving road safety and our research shows a very high level of public backing for their introduction. They would be entirely voluntary and have no legal implications for anyone taking them but are designed to help older people make informed decisions about their safety on the road, and ultimately even whether they should keep driving.”
He continued: “As everyone ages, they are likely to suffer from a range of issues that could affect their performance as a motorist ranging from reduced reaction times to poorer eyesight and hearing, and the assessments should show to what extent these represent a risk.”
