Friday, February 17, 2012
Silver drivers
As a young driver, with all your friends passing their practical tests and finding freedom on the roads, it must be easy at times to feel like young people make up a large majority of road users in Britain.
You’d be wrong though. Figures from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency show that in fact, the number of elderly motorists over the age of 80 far surpasses the number of 17 to 19s behind the wheel!
Only about 682,000 drivers up to the age of 19 hold a full licence in comparison to the one million over 80s still negotiating the UK’s road network.
Furthermore, they drive in just as safe a manner as 25 to 29 year olds and suffer three times fewer severe injuries or deaths on the highway than the 17 to 19 age group.
A spokesperson for the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) states, “Those who wish to continue driving beyond the age of 70 should only be prevented from doing so if there are compelling reasons.
“Rather than seeking to prevent older people from driving, we should make them more aware of the risks they face and offer them driving assessments to help them eliminate bad habits.”
Your 80th birthday might seem a good long way away, but it’s nice to know that your car won’t be snatched from you when you reach the big eight zero.
Photo © Todyotter via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: 80, birthday, Britain, Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency, full licence, IAM, Institute of Advanced Motorists, practical test, road, road user, young driver
Monday, February 6, 2012
Double delight for teenage test takers
Twins often share similar experiences of life's defining moments. Many enjoy their first day at school together, some move out of the family home at the same time, and in one special case twins from Bristol passed their driving tests on the same day.
What makes this story even more extraordinary is that that each sister had taken exactly the same number of one hour driving lessons, and they both began their practical tests at 3pm on January 20th.
The girl's chosen driving instructor said, “Everything seemed to fall in together – they started the same day, they had exactly the same number of lessons, they passed on the same day.”
It's traditional for twins to grow up wearing identical sets of clothes and be treated to shared birthday parties. However, the girls’ parents went to extra lengths by rewarding them with a blue Ford Ka each.
Their Mum said, “They both felt that they were under a lot of pressure, and they were worried that one might pass and one fail. They would have rather both failed than one pass and one fail.”
After joint celebrations the youngsters are expected to turn their minds to what they can do together next. Perhaps they'll both achieve the same A level marks, go to the same university and even begin same course next year.
Photo © samantha celera via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: Bristol, driving lessons, driving test, Ford Ka, instructor, practical test, twins