Car usage important for OAPs

The ability to use a car in one's old age is a very important part of a person's wellbeing, it emerged today.

This is the opinion of Elizabeth Dainton, research development manager for the Royal Automobile Club Foundation (RACF), speaking today at the Royal Geographical Society's annual conference.

Ms Dainton said the ageing population in the UK is, as one would expect, more active and mobile than ever before.

Of those people aged 70 or more, nearly 50 per cent hold a current driving licence. By 2015, in fact, the number of male drivers over 80 will double.

There will also be 3.4 times as many female drivers over 80 on the road.

Mr Dainton believes having the freedom, flexibility and convenience that a car provides is important in one's old age.

The government therefore needs to recognise and plan for maintaining mobility for OAPs in a way that doesn't compromise the safety of society as a whole.

The RACF's upcoming paper on older drivers suggests that three times as many people over 70 feel the benefits of personal car travel, compared to 30 years ago.

Four out of five drivers say they would find it difficult to cope without having a car, particularly when these people live in rural areas.

"The freedom, flexibility and convenience provided by the car, makes it the most desirable form of mobility in the UK across all age groups," said Ms Dainton.

"Being able to access the shops, the doctors or friends and family with ease by car can make all the difference to an older person, especially if they are living alone. Taking away licences would increase the burden on health and social service home visits."

"When new regulations for older drivers are considered, the Government must recognise the important role that the car will continue to play for people in their retirement years and plan accordingly.

"Road safety is an important consideration, but a blanket policy for those over the age of 60 is likely to be unnecessary, unpopular, expensive and ineffective".