Under current DVLA rules and regulations, drivers are required to renew their licence every three years once they turn 70, compared to every 10 years for younger motorists. 

Drivers born in these years face new DVLA cognitive test to keep licence

by · Birmingham Live

Older motorists could face compulsory 'fitness-to-drive' tests. Under current DVLA rules and regulations, drivers are required to renew their licence every three years once they turn 70, compared to every 10 years for younger motorists.

But there are calls for a rule shake-up after the tragic death of a toddler in Scotland. A 91-year-old woman with dementia who killed a toddler should not have been allowed to drive, an inquiry has ruled. Edith Duncan's Kia veered off Morningside Road in Edinburgh, hitting three-year-old Xander Irvine and his mother Victoria before crashing into a shop in June 2020.

A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) said Mrs Duncan, who was charged over the crash and died in May 2021, had "significantly impaired cognitive ability" as a result of her illness and was unfit to drive or hold a driving licence. It called for the system that determines whether a person is fit to drive to be changed as a "matter of priority", requiring drivers over the age of 80 - born before 1944 - to take a cognitive test before their licence can be renewed.

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A spokesperson for the DVLA said: "Road safety is our absolute priority and we are carefully considering the sheriff’s recommendations. All drivers must ensure that they meet the medical standards for driving and notify us of the onset or worsening of a medical condition affecting their ability to drive."

Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on fatalities investigations for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: "I welcome the sheriff’s determination which makes significant recommendations in relation to the fitness-to-drive requirements for drivers over 70 and a change to primary legislation.

“The procurator fiscal service will continue to keep in contact with the Irvine family and answer any questions they may have about the determination. My thoughts remain with the family at this difficult time."