Drivers over 75 may have to sit IQ tests

Ministers want to ban anyone over 75 who does not pass the exams and they will insist that drivers repeat the series of IQ tests every five years if they want to stay on the road.

The new barriers to elderly motorists will also include an eyesight exam, but they will not have to re-take their practical driving test.

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Since 1974, motorists have been allowed to continue unhindered until they reach 70. After that, they simply fill out a form every three years to declare they are fit to drive and are free of ailments such as epilepsy, diabetes and heart conditions.

But a shake-up was ordered because the 1.5million motorists aged 75 or over who have licences today will soar as the "baby boomer" generation approaches retirement and beyond.

The proposals, to be announced within weeks in a Government consultation document, suggest a "cognitive" exam to measure brain power.

It is likely to include an IQ-style puzzle such as being asked to spot the odd one out from a series of shapes.

Last night, a spokesman for the charity Age Concern warned: "A blanket system risks stereotyping the elderly as bad drivers."

Muriel Gladwin, 94, from Hereford, who taught herself to drive 82 years ago and has held a clean

licence since, said: "It's the wrong way round. You don't have as many older people getting into accidents as younger ones.

"It's the younger drivers who should be having more tests."

But road safety groups welcomed the measures, saying they would reduce accidents.

Research suggests that elderly drivers are more likely to be involved in collisions causing death or injury.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists says older drivers take longer to spot hazards, have slower reaction times and are more likely to become confused by road layouts and traffic rules.

Drivers over the age of 55 take 22 per cent longer to react compared with those under 30 - adding about 25ft to their stopping time at 70mph.

Separate research by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency shows that only one in ten drivers of any age with a "notifiable" condition, such as epilepsy or heart problems, actually admits to it on the form.

In 1975, elderly motorists constituted fewer than one in six drivers on the road, but by 2004 it was nearly half.

"In 2006, some 23,000 registered drivers were over the age of 91, with 1,555 aged 96 to 100 - and 34 who were 101 or older.

Experts say most drivers recognise when it is time to give up but a "hard core" refuses to accept their physical or mental deterioration could make them a hazard.

The Government's consultation paper, Medical Aspects of Fitness to Drive, has taken into account several pieces of research.

Alistair Kennedy of research group Risk Solutions, which carried out one study, confirmed it had recommended replacing the three-year renewal of licences for the over 70s with a five-year renewal for over 75s involving eyesight and cognitive tests.

The proposals are also likely to bring training options to drivers who, while competent, may need a little extra assistance to cope with motoring in advancing years.

Smaller such schemes already exist, such as a pilot project in Gloucestershire called Safer Driving With Age.

At the other age extreme, Ministers are also revamping the rules about young drivers and the L-test with reforms that will effectively raise the solo driving age from 17 to 18, because of the length of time it will take to pass.

Reform of the drinkdrive laws, including a lowering of the limit and random breath-tests, will also be up for consultation.

Elderly drivers also face a potential a crackdown by police who, with the Home Office, have been trying to develop simple devices which will detect whether a driver is fit to be behind the wheel because of age or fatigue.

The Home Office's Police Scientific Technical Branch is trying to develop a roadside "impairment meter" to judge a drivers' ability to multi-task, and detect impairment through "alcohol, drugs, tiredness or even old age".