Over 200,000 more elderly drivers have a valid license compared with the same metric last year. This means more older people are choosing to renew their licenses so that they can stay on the road longer.
Full UK Driving Licence Holders
According to figures released by the Department of Transport and the DVLA, 41,570,822 people hold a current Full driving license in the UK. This is approximately half a million more people than the same time last year. Drivers aged over 70 have also increased, and there are now believed to be 212,000 people holding full UK driving licenses with an age of 70 or more. In 2012 there were approximately 3.96 million elderly drivers on the road, and this figure has now increased to 5.96 million.
There are also an extra 100,000 drivers on the road who are aged 18 and older, which means overall, there are 1.65 million of them. For drivers over 100 years old, things have also changed. Eleven years ago, there were just 162 UK full-driving license holders in this age group; the most recent figures now show 510 drivers aged 100 are still using their licenses. are happy to be on the road.
CEO John Wilmot of LeaseLoco spoke about the data saying that it shows just how I am important travelling by car is and how it remains our most popular and convenient transport form, particularly for older people, as it gives them access to mobility. He feels the record levels of full UK driving license holders demonstrate our reliance on cars but also show how important it is for older people to connect with the world socially, especially if they live in more rural areas because their public transport links can be quite weak.
Licence Renewal
A full UK driving license will expire when a driver turns 70 unless they choose to renew it. They must then renew their license every three years, but of course, they can choose not to, on the understanding that they are giving up driving at this point. Until people reach 70, the licence renewal only takes place every ten years.
Renewal can be done by post or at a post office. Candidates will need to supply various details, including their address for the last three years, their national insurance number and a valid UK passport number. Drivers approaching 70 years old will be sent a D46P renewal form in the post about three months before their birthday. This gives them plenty of time to ensure they remain legally licensed and that DVLA has enough time to process the application. This renewal is not chargeable, but they do need to reapply every three years ago and ensure that they correctly fill in all of the information enabling the DVLA to issue a license that matches the vehicular needs. The driver should also take care to disclose any new medical conditions, and a full list of notifiable problems is available for anyone to check. Failure to disclose can result in the license being revoked.