Driver, 93, banned over biker death

Pensioner Alfred Ross admitted causing death by careless driving and is thought to be the oldest person in the country to be convicted of the offence.

He shuffled into New Forest Magistrates Court in Lyndhurst, Hants, with a walking stick where he was fined £3,750 and banned from driving for five years.

Ross pulled out in his Rover 216 in front of Jeffrey Bennett's Honda VFR 750 on the A337 Lymington Road in Brockenhurst on October 8, 2008.

Mr Bennett was so badly injured he died at the scene. It was just one day after his 65th birthday and his retirement. He had worked in the insurance industry and then as a builder.

Mr Bennett's daughter Lucy and his partner Julia Mason outside court called for tighter legislation to cover drivers aged over 70. In a statement, they said Ross' sentence could not make their loss any more bearable or bring any sense of justice for them.

"What it has done, however, is highlight the existing legislation governing older drivers, which is grossly inadequate," they said.

"Currently, drivers who are more than 70 years of age are required to complete a form every three years and asked to declare any medical conditions. Only if they declare a medical condition are they required to have an examination by their doctor."

Many elderly drivers were not honest in filling in the forms, they said, and that the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents wanted "serious consideration" for a system of compulsory medical checks for older drivers.

They added: "Our situation begs the question: 'Why this is not in place already?' Surely, we need an immediate change in the law. I would also urge families of older drivers to address any concerns they may have about their driving abilities. You too have a responsibility if you think there is a problem."