Elderly motorists could be in for a shock as they may soon face mandatory fitness tests before renewing their licences. It is feared could lead toan entire generation being “cut off” from driving.
“Of course, each situation is a case-by-case basis, with precautions that all drivers, regardless of age can take before getting behind the wheel. However, it would be a shame to see a whole generation cut off from their relied-upon mode of transport, just because of their age,” legal expert Craig Delahaye, Associate Director of Legal Operations at National Accident Helpline, warned on GB News.
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He said that scores of older drivers might be oblivious to the fact that they’re no longer road-safe.
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This stark statement comes in the wake of a tragic incident where a senior with undiagnosed dementia caused the death of a toddler, prompting an inquiry which concluded she was unfit to drive. In June 2020, 91 year old Edith Duncan tragically lost control of her car in Edinburgh, impacting three year old Xander Irvine and his mother Victoria before crashing into a storefront.
Delahaye remarked: “Of course, each situation is a case-by-case basis, with precautions that all drivers, regardless of age can take before getting behind the wheel. However, it would be a shame to see a whole generation cut off from their relied-upon mode of transport, just because of their age.”
He further stressed the need for community support rather than blame, advocating for education to foster understanding and safer roads: “Instead of pointing the finger in these situations, we should instead endeavour to educate and support each other to enable the rules to be understood and the roads to be safer for everyone.”, reports Birmingham Live.
The young victim, Xander, succumbed to “multiple injuries” later that day at the city’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children. Ms Duncan, who had prosecution looming over the incident, passed away a year later.
Under the current regulations, drivers aged 70 and above are required to renew their licence every three years and must inform the DVLA of any cognitive impairments. Failure to comply can result in a fine of up to £1,000 and potential prosecution.
Ms Duncan had renewed her driving licence in January 2020, declaring she had no significant memory issues or confusion. However, a fatal accident inquiry concluded that at the time of the crash, she was “suffering from significantly impaired cognitive ability as a result of frontotemporal dementia, and was unfit to drive or hold a driving licence”.
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