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UK worries about old folk on roads

LONDON, England - The UK Department for Transport may consider relaxing the age at which drivers must renew their licence from 70 to 80-years-old, reports road safety charity Brake.

Pensioners should be allowed to continue driving until they are 80 before having to renew their licence, according to a review by British transport officials.

ENDANGERING LIVES

Brake’s deputy chief executive Julie Townsend said: "The Department for Transport is considering raising the age for licence renewal, a regulation that's in place for good reason. At 70 to 80 conditions that can significantly impair one's ability to drive safely become much more common, so it's essential we have robust procedures to ensure older drivers are not inadvertently putting themselves and others in grave danger."

Licence renewal prompts older drivers to check and self-certify they are fit to drive. Brake is calling on the UK government to strengthen fitness-to-drive rules to help prevent tragedies. It calls for compulsory eye and health checks for older drivers.

Brake recommends that older drivers visit their doctor once a year for such tests, or sooner if they notice a problem, to ensure they are fit enough to continue driving and not unwillingly putting lives on the line when they get behind the wheel.

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