Should older drivers retake their test? Over two thirds (67%) of under 25s think so

New data from learner driver insurer Veygo has found that two thirds (67%) of under 25s think drivers aged over 70 should have to retake their driving test.   

The survey, conducted on 1,500 UK drivers, reveals new insight into the often-contentious topic of whether older people should be made to retake their driving test, with Gen Z (67%) and Millennials (65%) both saying they should. In fact, the majority of all those under 44 (61%) were in favour of driving test retakes for their older counterparts.  

But the data reveals a huge generational disparity with those who’ve been on the road for longer – with only a third of those over 55 (36%) agreeing they should have to retake their practical test again.   

James Armstrong, CEO of Veygo, said: “With road rules and safety fresh in the mind of new drivers, it’s unsurprising that they are hyper-sensitive to mistakes or road errors that they may witness in older drivers. And with new highway code rules having come into force this year, there’s debate over how aware of these changes older drivers will be.  

“Recent DVSA data[2] on pass rates shows that tests taken in the last year by those aged 60+ have a much lower pass rate than that of younger drivers, at 34%. By comparison, the average pass rate of 17-25 year old learners this past year was 50%, and the national average is 48.9%. This suggests that introducing retests for over 70s could bring down the national average pass rate.  

“But age or time on the road shouldn’t be directly associated with driving ability. Just as we believe our very young driver customers are safe on the road and equipped with up-to-date knowledge, this also applies to an experienced 60 year old motorist.  

“The driving rules surrounding ages have historically been governed by EU law, so it’ll be interesting in this post-Brexit era to see if this changes for the UK specifically and retakes are introduced. It appears from our survey that the majority of road users would welcome this new enforcement, but regardless of whether it changes or not, regularly refreshing knowledge on road signs or speeds, keeping up to date with 2022 highway code changes, and practicing safe driving is imperative for all road users, both new and experienced, young or old.”