A third of motorists think the minimum age for drivers should be increased

As the RAC Foundation releases a study on young driver safety ahead of the Government publishing a consultation on the issue, leading vehicle remarketing company, British Car Auctions (BCA) provides insight from UK motorists on the minimum age of drivers.
 
Over a third (35%) of those polled in the BCA research* said they felt the minimum age for drivers should be increased with 40% of those saying it should be raised to 21 years old.  But more than half (58%) actually said they did not think the minimum age should be increased.
 
40% of motorists who responded to the BCA survey said they believed raising the minimum driving age would reduce traffic accidents.
 
The BCA research also revealed strong views amongst motorists about older drivers.  Over half (58%) of respondents to the BCA survey would like to see compulsory re-testing for older drivers, with most believing that older drivers should be re-tested between one to five years (47%), with over a quarter thinking this should be implemented from the age of 70. But it’s almost an even split, when it comes to the question of whether all ages should be re-tested with 58% saying ‘no’.
 
“In light of the RAC Foundation’s new study, it’s interesting that more than half of respondents to our research said that they don’t think that the minimum age for drivers should be increased,” said Tim Naylor, Editor of the BCA Used Car Market Report. “However, when it comes to older drivers, there seems to be a consensus that re-testing is needed after a certain age. Indeed, the results of our survey suggest that people may see elderly drivers as more of a road safety issue than younger motorists. Of the 42% who think drivers of all ages should be re-tested regularly, over 50%think it should take place every 10 years regardless of age.”