Older drivers ‘should escape prosecution for running red lights’

Older drivers should be allowed to prosecute careless driving, according to experts funded by the Department of Transport.

They said drivers aged 70 and over caught accidentally running a red light or driving unnecessarily slow should have their skills assessed instead of facing hefty fines or even prosecution. element.

The Elderly Drivers Task Force has made some ‘salvage’ recommendations to the government on how it can keep elderly people safe behind the wheel for longer.

One of them is a mandatory vision test for people over 70 years old who apply for a license extension to limit incidents on the road.

Another organization is rolling out fitness tests to drivers across the UK, currently only available in some police forces, such as the Hampshire Constabulary.

When someone is found to be unsafe behind the wheel, a report is sent to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, which decides whether to revoke their license.

In some cases, drivers are sent to study and are offered a re-evaluation within three months.

Those assessed will not be fined the typical £100 and three penalty points for careless driving.

But John Plowman, chair of the Task Force on Older Drivers, stressed that older drivers are not a ‘major risk’, although because of their fragility they are more likely to be. died in an accident.

The recommendations come as the number of over-85s on the road will double to 1,000,000 in the next three years, and experts warn the country should prepare for this demographic shift.

Latest Department for Transport figures also show that there are 5.7 million people in the UK aged 70 and over with a full driving license – of which 489 are aged 100 or over.