One in four traffic fatalities are elderly people

Some 70% of 1,000 drivers aged over 50 told an Institute of Advanced Motorists survey they would take a course to improve their driving on motorways.

Six out of 10 said they would value tips on driving on unlit roads at night and negotiating junctions.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority is now reviewing the way it assesses medical fitness to drive.

Suggestions include giving drivers a mandatory medical MOT at the age of 70.

Some drivers are excellent at 70 while others can be poor at 30. Gordon Lishman Age Concern

The research is being published as the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) launches a leaflet in conjunction with Age Concern offering 10 tips on making driving safer, easier and less tiring.

It is also running a pilot scheme to offer older drivers refresher courses.

Statistics reveal that older drivers are the second most likely group to have accidents after 17 to 24-year-olds.

People over 60 form about a fifth of the driving population but make up more than 25% of motoring fatalities.

The IAM survey found that many drivers felt their driving had changed a lot as they had aged.

Leaving more space between vehicles, driving more slowly and taking more care at junctions were the most common alterations.

Independence

But many said although they felt safer about their own driving, they were less confident about others on the roads.

Christopher Bullock, IAM chief executive, said: "Many older people know that their reactions have slowed and adjust their driving to cater for this.

"They want to retain their licence because they value the independence afforded by the car. Voluntary refresher lessons could help more mature motorists stay on the road."

A spokesman for the institute said the courses were being offered in a bid to stop older drivers from hanging up their keys.

He said because of the deterioration of hearing and ability and eyesight that generally comes with old age, older people are often seen as less able drivers.

Elderly drivers said they found negotiating congestion difficult

But he pointed out that the rate of physical ageing varies widely depending on the person.

And GPs often did not want to be the ones to judge drivers' ability, he added, because although they could assess a person's sight and mobility, they may not be able to judge their other attributes.

"They also don't want to be the ones to say - you can't drive any more because it can be cutting someone's lifeline," he added.

Gordon Lishman, director-general of Age Concern England, said someone's fitness to drive should be based on their skill, not their birth certificate.

"Some drivers are excellent at 70 while others can be poor at 30. The enthusiasm of older drivers to take these refresher courses shows how seriously they take road safety."

Medical fitness

Currently all drivers are sent a form asking them to self-certify their ability to drive yearly from the age of 70.

There are two million people aged 70 or over in the UK who have a drivers' licence. This number is expected to double to more than four million by 2015.

A Department of Transport spokesman said the DVLA was undertaking a independent review to assess the effectiveness of the current medical licensing system and to identify changes that can be made.