More Older Drivers Than Ever

New data published this week has found that there are more drivers 70+ than ever before, but worryingly they are most likely to be at fault when involved in an accident.

According to the latest data provided by the Department for Transport and Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency, the total number of individuals possessing a full UK driving licence in the UK as of February was 41,570,822.

The current number of eligible drivers has increased by approximately 495,560 individuals in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year, resulting in a total of 41,075,262 qualified drivers at present.

The analysis of those figures has found that approximately one in seven of the total number of licenced drivers in Britain, which amounts to 5,967,076 individuals, is aged 70 years or older, representing 14% of the total population.

There has been a significant increase of over two million drivers aged 70 and above on the roads in the past decade, despite the implementation of stringent regulations mandating licence renewal every three years for this demographic.

The number of drivers aged 70 and above in February 2023 will be 5,967,076, whereas in 2012, the corresponding figure was 3,902,135.

According to the DVLA statistics, there has been a notable rise of approximately 100,000 (94,818) individuals aged 80 or above who possess a complete driving licence in comparison to the previous year.

Over the course of the past year, there has been a 6% increase in the total number of qualified motorists, resulting in a current count of 1,649,277 individuals. This figure represents approximately 4% of the entire population of qualified motorists.

Ten years ago, the count of individuals who possessed a valid full driver's licence and were aged 80 or older was 1,059,683. Presently, this number has increased by 56 percent.The figures reveal a comparable trend for individuals aged over 90, with a notable increase of 93% over the course of a decade, resulting in a current count of 137,281 individuals.

“The number of qualified drivers on UK roads has reached record levels, showing that travelling by car continues to be the main and most convenient form of transport, particularly for older people,” said John Wilmot, CEO of the company which published the analysis.

“Having a car also allows many older people to feel socially connected. 

“That’s especially true in more rural areas, where public transport can be unreliable.”