OLDER drivers are being offered free assessments to check all is well behind the wheel.
Warwickshire County Council has teamed up with IAM Roadsmart and Specsavers, to provide and promote, free driving assessments for eligible mature drivers.
The council’s road safety team is working in collaboration with IAM Roadsmart to offer a limited number of free assessments, worth £49, for drivers over 70 years-old, who would benefit from an assessment.
The Mature Driver Assessment is not a test, but an informal review to reassure drivers, and their families, of the driver’s ability to continue driving.
An IAM qualified expert will go out with the driver, in their own car, on familiar local roads for one hour, to watch out for areas where their skills may need adjusting.
After the review, they will receive feedback on their skills and a written account of the session, which includes any suggestions for improvement. It is a completely personal report, and is shared with no one else. After the assessment, it is the driver who decides whether they are still fit to drive.
Specsavers is helping help eligible drivers become aware of the tests alongside having a full free eye examination to ensure they are safe to drive.
People visiting Specsavers stores across Warwickshire can take a simple driver’s vision check to see if they can read a number plate from the driving standard distance of 20 metres, with full free eye examinations being offered to all those who take part.
One of the first people to take advantage of the free assessment was 82-year-old Jean Phipps from Warwick.
Mrs Phipps said: “I was nervous at the thought of an assessed drive, but the assessor was lovely and made me feel totally at ease. I found the advice he gave me at the end of the session really valuable and I shall be putting it into practice next time I go out.
“I am certainly going to promote the Mature Drivers Assessment to my friends and will take another assessment again in three years time.”
Warwickshire has an increasingly ageing population with a growing number of drivers aged over 70 on the roads. Research shows as drivers reach the age of 70 are more likely to be the cause of road incidents. Physical and psychological factors can cause the driving of an older person to deteriorate.
Coun Les Caborn said: “We’re delighted to be working with IAM Roadsmart and Specsavers to provide and promote these free driving assessments for eligible mature drivers.
“If you, or a friend or relative living in Warwickshire feel you may benefit from this valuable opportunity then please get in touch. We want all our older drivers to drive safely and with confidence.”
To book a free assessment call: 0300 303 1134 during office hours and quote reference WCC. For further information about the scheme (but not booking) email [email protected] or call the Road Safety Team on 01926 418062.
