One in five motorists is aged over 65

19 per cent of motorists in the UK are aged over 65.

The number of drivers over the age of 65 reached 7,191,192 in November 2013, the Institute of Advanced Motorists has revealed. The age bracket now accounts for 19 per cent of all motorists in the UK with a full driving licence.

The figures taken from driving licence data published by the DVLA in December 2013 also revealed there are 4,068,498 drivers aged over 70 and 1,101,779 drivers aged over 80.

Five per cent of motorists – a total of 367,711 – aged over 65 have penalty points on their licence. The same per cent of over-70s also have points to their name equating to a total of 195,773 drivers.

The data also revealed there are 195 drivers aged over 100 years old.

“In twenty years time, one in ten people will be over 80 years old,” Institute of Advanced Motorists chief executive Simon Best explained. “Responding to an older population is a significant policy issue for government, health and transport agencies – a greater number of people will require help with their mobility and acting now can ensure the right support networks are in place numbers increase.

“Easy access to driving assessments, better advice from the medical profession and car and road designs that mitigate the effects of ageing should all be top in 2014.  The overarching policy aim should be to keep people independent and driving safer for as long as possible.”

The number of UK residents aged over 65 is expected to double by 2050 to around 19 million, according to official statistics.

A survey by Auto Trader from 2013 found that 73 per cent of motorists were worried about the driving habits of elderly motorists, yet statistics show younger drivers to be more of a crash risk.