Is it time to hang up your driving gloves?

According to road safety charity The Institute of Advanced Motorists, older drivers should consider whether they are safe to drive or not. Based on this, the I of AM has offered the following tips: Currently motorists are required to renew their licence at age 70, and then every 3 years thereafter. Ensure you keep up-to-date with all your renewals, or you could end up driving illegally. When you renew your licence you are asked to self-certify the state of your health. Be honest with yourself – it may be worth going for an all-round check-up with your GP before you choose which box you will tick. Whether it is time to renew or not, you have a legal requirement to inform the DVLA as soon as possible if you are diagnosed with dementia. As you get older, your eyesight will more likely deteriorate, but the law requires drivers to be able to read a car number plate from a distance of 20 metres, whatever your age. If you need glasses or contact lenses to do this, they must be worn at all times when you are driving. If you are diagnosed with a condition which causes vision impairment, the law states you must inform the DVLA. Failure to do so is a criminal offence. Online and on-road assessments are available for older drivers to make sure their driving is still good enough. For further information on this, please click on: http://www.iam.org.uk/drivers/motorists-courses/driving-assessment/mature-drivers-assesment