THE 100 YEAR OLD DRIVERS
More than 500 of them on road
DRIVERS over 100 years old have nearly trebled in the last decade.
The number of centenarians with full licences has topped 505 – up from 162 in 2012. The oldest licence holder in Britain is a 108-year-old man, with two aged 107 – a man and woman – tailgating him, research reveals.
Meanwhile over-90s behind the wheel have almost doubled from 71,259 in 2012 to 133,369 today, says research by car leasing comparison website LeaseCo.
It comes after a report by the Older Drivers Task Force recommends the age at which licences must be renewed every three years should be hiked from 70 to 75.
Spokesman John Plowman said: “Age itself should not be a barrier to safe driving. But older motorists should be medically fit to drive and seek advice when a limiting condition develops or gets worse.” There are 1.5 million drivers over 80, nearly a 50% increase over the last decade, while 5.7 million over70s have licences.
The AA said it encourages people to drive as long as they can, provided there are no health issues affecting safety. “A time will come when driving is no longer an option,” said spokesman Jack Cousens. “And that causes family friction when mum and dad are told to hang up their car keys.” The Task Force says over 80s are 10 times more likely to be killed in an accident than a motorist half their age as they are more fragile.
But Prince Philip survived crashing his Land Rover at 97 in 2019. And Eileen Ash, of Norwich, who died last year at 110, was still driving at 106 after only having one bump in her life – when she backed her car into a lawnmower in her garage.
Eileen, the world’s oldest test cricketer, got her licence in 1937. She told the BBC: “There are good and bad drivers of all ages. You’ll know when you can’t drive and that’s the time to stop.”
John Wilmot, of LeaseCo, said: “A car allows older people to feel connected, especially in rural areas where public transport is unreliable.”