UK motorists aged 80 or over reckon thet feel confident on the road – the highest number from any age group and perhaps they shouldn’t be
Elderly drivers are as cocky and dangerous behind the wheel as their younger boy racer counterparts, a new report claims.
Some 97% of UK motorists aged 80 or over reported feeling confident on the road – the highest number from any age group.
While official data shows drivers aged 70-plus accounted for over a fifth of all UK road deaths last year, matching the fatal collision rate among those aged 17 to 29.
Latest Department for Transport figures reveal men account for more than three quarters of all road deaths (76%) and over three in five casualties (61%).
A survey of 2,000 Brit drivers by National Accident Helpline found 86% of male motorists felt confident behind the wheel – compared to 78% of women.
The personal injury firm said: “Male drivers are more confident in their motoring abilities than women, despite being involved in a higher number of fatal collisions.”
It added: “Elderly drivers display remarkable confidence on UK roads, with 97% of those aged 80-plus reporting they feel safe – the highest of any age group.
“Despite this, drivers aged 70 and over accounted for 22% of all fatalities in 2024, matching the fatal collision rate among 17 to 29-year-olds, who report significantly lower confidence levels.”
Elsewhere, the report found 64% of drivers would happily retake their practical driving test today.
But half of those polled (48%) admitted relying heavily on driver assistance tech, such as reversing cameras, which cannot be relied on in driving tests.
More than seven in 10 respondents failed to keep updated with Highway Code changes, such as giving priority to pedestrians and cyclists.
DfT data shows road deaths slightly increased last year – up 1% to 1,633.
National Accident Helpline’s legal operations chief, John Kushnick, said: “Our research confirms a critical safety issue affecting every road user – UK drivers are significantly more confident than rising collision and fatality rates warrant.”
He added: “Without urgent intervention to close the gap between perceived and actual competence, we risk normalising preventable tragedies.”