Safety is the main concern

Reference the article on re-testing drivers over the age of 70 ( CCW, 26 April), I believe there are many elderly drivers who are a real danger to both themselves and everyone else. It is so sad that this has recently manifested itself with loss of life and injury to two innocent people.

I have many friends of different ages who are drivers. The oldest is now 83 and still drives regularly. After all these years I can see a few flaws in his driving, but I still feel comfortable and safe as a passenger in his car.

At the younger end of the scale is a friend of 28 who passed his test more than ten years ago. He is a competent and safe driver and I feel very relaxed when being driven by him.

There is a point at which experience becomes a telling factor, but a lot of problems are the result of complacency. ‘I’ve been driving for XYZ years, and I don’t make mistakes’. We’ve all heard that. In my experience, it is men in their 40s and 50s that are the worst for that. They are so busy berating others that they fail to notice how bad their own driving has become.

I will end on three points: 1. The basic ‘L’ test is nowhere near hard enough.

2. The re-testing of older drivers should be compulsory (although it is open to debate at what age that should be ).

3. The overriding consideration should be road safety.

Sean Sullivan, Elmers End, Kent