Calls for elderly drivers to face ‘roadworthiness MoT’

A firm of solicitors is recommending that people aged 80 and over should no longer be allowed to self-certify their fitness to drive, following the tragic death of a toddler.

Instead, says Holmes Mackillop director Craig Donnelly, elderly drivers should be subject to an ‘MoT’ to ensure they are roadworthy.

The call follows the tragic death of three-year-old Alexander Paul Thomas Irvine. He died after being struck by a 91-year-old motorist, Edith Duncan.

It was later found the driver was suffering from significantly impaired cognitive ability due to frontotemporal dementia. They were deemed unfit to drive or hold a driving licence.

Scotland Sheriff Principal Nigel Ross, who conducted the fatal accident investigation (FAI), subsequently recommended that applications for driving licence renewals for drivers aged 80 or over should not be granted unless the applicant has undertaken a short cognitive assessment.

Should they fail the assessment, both their renewal and any current licence should be suspended pending further assessment.

"Driving licences must be renewed when a driver turns 70 and every three years thereafter," says Craig Donnelly of the firm of solicitors.

He says the consequences of aging can affect driving ability, such as reaction times slowing down, less strength to quickly and firmly press a brake pedal plus worsening vision.

"There are no checks or tests to confirm if health declarations are true or not and failure to report may only be discovered after there has been an incident," he adds.

The FAI found that Edith Duncan was probably unaware that she had dementia when she renewed her licence in January 2020 or when the accident occurred five months later. A cognitive assessment of her ability to drive may have identified that she was no longer fit to be behind the wheel.

Any changes to the self-declaration rule would undoubtedly prove highly controversial. Donnelly admitted that it would also be difficult for elderly drivers to give up their licence, as they may be left isolated and feel that they have lost their independence.

The call comes as elderly drivers already face soaring car insurance premiums. Motorists aged 80 and over have seen premiums go up 27% in just one year.

Ask HJ

I'm struggling to get insurance now I'm over 80 - what can I do?

I am over 80 and a very experienced driver but my recent quotes from mainstream insurance companies have more than doubled my quotes. My main car is a BMW 330e and I have a Mercedes SLK for summer use doing no more than 2000 miles a year. In one case LV said they were doing me a favour, long standing customer as they no longer insure anyone over 80. Can they do this and are their any companies which take into account one’s experience and fitness to drive rather than relying on a algorithm?

When it comes to offering prices to customers, insurers will make their decision based on the risk of that customer making a claim. Some demographics, such as older or younger drivers, or those living in some areas of the UK will all fall into risk categories, and some insurers may choose not to cover these groups. However, this is only the case for a small number of companies, and there will be insurers out there who will be willing to provide cover for some risk groups. Using a price comparison site like www.Confused.com, which works with over 150 insurers, is the best way to run a quote and find an insurer that is willing to provide you with insurance, and you can compare all of the prices in one place too so you can find the cheapest deal.

Answered by Louise Thomas

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