Project to evaluate standardised mature driver assessments
An independent evaluation of the implementation and delivery of standardised mature driver assessments will set out to measure the road safety benefits and inform a wider roll-out of the schemes.
The evaluation, funded by The Road Safety Trust, will be carried out by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), working with The Older Driver Task Force (ODTF), the Older Drivers Forum and the University of Warwick.
The number of drivers aged 60 years and older is increasing. While the ageing process should not be seen as a bar to driving, a range of associated issues have been found to increase risk. This includes declining eyesight, reduced levels of flexibility, cognitive or memory decline, and increased medication use.
In response, several local authorities have developed voluntary older driver on-road assessment schemes that aim to support mature drivers to 'drive safer for longer'.
However, there is currently no standardised approach to delivering the assessments and a lack of evidence to demonstrate that the schemes provide a road safety benefit.
This project will conduct a trial and evaluation of a standardised mature driver assessment delivered by trained ADIs in five areas of the country: Buckinghamshire, Cheshire West and Chester, Gloucestershire, Leeds, and Warwickshire.
The independent evaluation will explore the feasibility and acceptability of delivering standardised assessments and measure road safety outcomes, such as safe following and hazard perception skills, in older drivers.
The pilot project will take place over a couple of years and the project team will disseminate the findings when this is concluded.
If successful, recommendations will be made of how to roll out standardised mature driver assessments more widely.
Jamie Hassall, executive director of the PACTS, said: “Evaluating road safety interventions is a cornerstone of ensuring we are making positive progress and being able to demonstrate best practice so it can be shared, and the benefits delivered nationally and internationally.
“Thanks to The Road Safety Trust we have pulled together a team of experts to undertake a review of this work supporting older drivers to continue to safely use the roads.”
Rob Heard, chair and founder of the Older Drivers Forum, said: “As we age, we can become complacent about our driving and may pick up bad habits.
“We have long believed that a driving assessment is a great way for drivers as they age to understand if they are still safe to drive and assist with those losing confidence in their driving.
“We have been concerned that many of the non-medical appraisals or assessments vary in standard, cost and length which can cause confusion. We fully support this project to evaluate a standardised mature driving assessment and look forward to hearing its findings.”
Dr Carol Hawley, honorary research fellow at the University of Warwick Medical School, said: “Myself and Ian Edwards of New View Consultants are excited to be conducting this multi-centre evaluation of standardised mature driving assessments on behalf of PACTS with funding from The Road Safety Trust.
“We shall be gathering the views of drivers receiving the driving assessment as well as the views of the driving instructors and administrators delivering the assessments using a range of measures to determine the acceptability, utility and feasibility of this standardised approach and the effects on road safety outcomes.”
The funding has been provided through The Road Safety Trust’s Autumn 2023 funding round.
Ruth Purdie OBE, chief executive of The Road Safety Trust, said: “As the number of older drivers on UK roads increases, so do efforts to ensure they remain safe.
“This project will evaluate the road safety benefits of mature driver assessments, in an effort to improve standards across the country.”
To find out more about the project, visit The Road Safety Trust website.