Mature drivers now encouraged to take driving assessments

That’s a question many of us should ask ourselves as tougher legislation is about to be introduced for those applying to drive and sit their driving test for the first time.

One of the leading organisations in the country for driving safety is the Institute of Advanced Motorists which publishes commonsense and timely road safety tips whether you are driving near home or going on a motoring holiday to France.

While they organise and assess motorists for the advanced driving test, they also offer driving assessments for older, experienced drivers too.

In March this year, IAM research showed that 42 forty-two per cent of the population is worried about an elderly relative driving, yet they are unlikely to do anything about it.

Recently, I joined up with James Cameron, the IAM’s Staff Examiner in Ireland, to see what motorists should be thinking about as they drive on our increasingly busy roads and to find out for myself how a Drive Check 55 assessment works.

I met James with some trepidation as I didn’t really know what to expect. It’s been close to 40 years since I passed by driving test at the old Mill Street driving test centre in Enniskillen which I remember clearly to this day.

One of the best feelings in life is, as a teenager learning that you had passed your driving test.

After some pleasantries, James got me outside the car for a few check-ups first, looking at tyres, lighting systems, etc to make sure the vehicle was roadworthy and safe to drive.

It can be surprising how many people take cars on the road in a risky condition, knowing they might have a defective tyre or some other defect.

Once James was satisfied everything was in order, we got into the car where he briefed me on what was to happen next.

Giving me a route I was to take over the next hour, I proceeded from the car park and entered the main A4 heading from Enniskillen towards Belfast. Nearing the Maguiresbridge junction, I was instructed to turn left for Tempo, proceeding along this curving road until it met the main Tempo to Enniskillen Road.

I didn’t appear to have any problems, sometimes following slow traffic before overtaking and at other times, watching out for pedestrians.

Entering Enniskillen, I had to negotiate several roundabouts, drive through traffic lights and return to where I had parked earlier It was only afterwards that James said he normally stays silent during an assessment but where he found it reassuring to sit in the passenger seat of a car he knew where the driver was competent, he would chat. That’s what he did throughout and this made the journey less formal.

He revealed some of the aims of Drive Check 55.

“I’m looking out for safety, and that the driver is alert and can react to situations that they see ahead, that the driver is well aware of the speed limits, signalling and checking the mirrors,”explained James.

He also stressed the importance of drivers knowing their road signs. Collectively all these factors made drivers safer, he said.

He said motorists should plan their drive and not become too familiar with a route.

“The road is the same but the movement of other road users makes every journey different,” he pointed out.

He also described the following scenario: “The windscreen is part of the car which tells the story, like a widescreen TV and it’s up to the driver to record it early enough and react accordingly.” He says there are so many other issues with driving such as giving attention to other road users, passing cemeteries where there might be a gathering of people or slow moving vehicles near airports and especially farmers’ vehicles on the roads.

He also pointed out the potential distractions inside the vehicle when driving especially the mobile phone.

“The driver must always be paying attention and remembering they have a duty of care for other people and for their passengers,” he said.

Meanwhile I am in possession of a Drive Check 55 Assessment Report which I’m happy to say, has quite a few marks indicating satisfactory and good driving techniques.

Marks are given for starting off procedures, clutch control, user of accelerator, use of gears and brakes, steering, use of mirrors and signalling, responding to speed limits, general observations, hazard perception and planning ahead.

This month, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has launched its Mature Driver’s Assessment – a way for older drivers to gain a trusted second opinion on their driving and it is available for motorists aged over 70.

It consists of a 60 - minute driving assessment that includes advice on what action to take.

“The assessment is not a formal test, it is a 60 - minute drive with an IAM-approved assessor. Candidates drive in their own vehicle taking routes that they are familiar with. At the end of the assessment, they are given immediate feedback and a confidential written report. A certificate is given to those judged ‘Excellent’ or ‘Competent’ or there is advice that their driving needs to improve and what needs to be done about it,” a spokesman stated.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “This assessment helps keep older people driving for as long as it is safe to do so. It’s worth remembering that many older people actually give up too early, simply because they lack confidence. It also gives elderly drivers and their families the information they need so that they can choose the right time to give up driving.” The IAM has an affiliated group in Enniskillen, as part of the Advance Motorists of Northern Ireland forum. They can be located on the website; www.amni.org.uk or www.facebook.com/amni.org.uk or Twitter.

There are now 2,700 advanced drivers in Northern Ireland and any of the Northern Ireland affiliated groups can help drivers prepare for the test.