Am I too old to drive?

Being able to drive is one of the things that gives us independence as adults, and to lose that in our old age is a worry for many, but there is no age limit for drivers as long as they are competent and safe to continue.

There are over 5 million drivers over the age of 70 on UK roads, but their licences have not been automatically renewed.  Within 90 days of their 70th birthday, a renewal form will be sent from the DVLA, or you can renew online; you will need to declare any medical conditions and that your eyesight is still satisfactory for driving. As long as these requirements are met, your licence will be renewed for 3 years, at which time you will need to renew with the same medical and eyesight questions to be answered.

Certain conditions listed below also require the DVLA to send a fitness to drive confirmation from your GP or a medical examination with your licence renewal every three years.

  • heart conditions (including atrial fibrillation and pacemakers)
  • syncope (fainting)
  • stroke
  • epilepsy
  • diabetes or taking insulin medication
  • glaucoma

Regular medical check-ups are crucial for ensuring your driving safety. Some prescription drugs can affect your driving ability, so it’s important to consult your GP or pharmacist to ensure you’re safe to drive. Remember, it’s your responsibility to do so, and these check-ups can provide reassurance and a sense of responsibility.

Being disabled or having a medical condition should not necessarily affect your licence, but you do need to consider things such as frailty or tiredness.

When should I consider giving up my driving licence?

Deciding when to give up your driving licence is a challenging question. If you have doubts about driving or if an incident has occurred, it’s time to be honest with yourself. Take some time to review the incident, discuss it with family and friends, and ask for their honest advice.

Be open to their feedback, as they are there to support and understand you. If you want to keep your independence and driving licence for longer, it’s time to reconsider your driving habits.

Older drivers may have held a licence for over 40 years or more and have never taken further training since their driving test. If you consider how much highway regulations and technology have moved on in that time, hundreds of thousands of drivers are on the roads without the proper understanding of how to use them confidently, especially on smart motorways where even younger drivers need clarification.  Many older drivers know they are not up to date with new road regulations, which can add to their hesitancy and loss of confidence.

However, they do not think they can do anything about it and let their driving lapse instead of staying current.

Driving is very much like everything else; if you don’t use it, you lose it!  We all encourage our older relatives to get out and about, exercise, and visit folk, so we should also encourage them to take some mature driving confidence sessions to keep their driving licences and independence longer and not worry should they be driving with grandchildren.

As long as a person is medically fit and well, there is no reason they cannot be driving into their 90’s and beyond.

We offer mature driving assessments for older drivers and general confidence driving courses available throughout the UK.