A grandfather who is still driving at the age of 94 says motorists should not be banned simply because of their age and he is prepared to take new tests to prove he is safe.
Brad Ashton, who lives in Enfield, north London, told The i Paper he would be lost without his car and being able to drive due to the lack of public transport and infrequent bus service.
Ashton, who has been driving since he passed his test in 1947 and has never had a speeding fine, said: “I am an experienced and careful driver and I think I am safer than a lot of teenagers who have just passed their test or motorists who are in too much of a rush.
“I don’t feel I should ever be banned from driving because of my age because there is no problem with my driving at all.
“I think there are a lot of people who can’t drive because of their age – but luckily, I am not one of them.”
This comes as older motorists are to face new tests under updated rules within the Government’s road safety strategy. The changes are expected to be the biggest since the Road Safety Act in 2006.
The potential plans include older drivers being banned from the road if they fail mandatory eyesight tests. Ministers will consult on introducing compulsory eye tests for motorists in England and Wales over the age of 70, from when people are required to renew their licence every three years.
Ashton, who is married to Valerie and has three children and five grandchildren, has his eyesight tested every six months. He last had his sight checked six weeks ago.
The retired comedy scriptwriter who wrote material for famous comedians including Groucho Marx, Tommy Cooper, Les Dawson, Bruce Forsyth and Bob Monkhouse, is still working giving talks about comedy and writing comedy for magazines. And he drives regularly.
He said: “My wife has ataxia which affects her balance so she cannot walk properly. We would be lost if I wasn’t able to drive as we live nowhere near an underground station and buses are not that frequent.
“The local shops are quite some distance from us so we need a car and would be lost because of the lack of public transport.”
He added: “I am still quite capable of driving and can still see well so I should be allowed to drive as long as I can. I only buy my road tax every six months just in case.
“I am quite happy to have a new test if they want me to and have no arguments about that. I am happy to prove I am safe to be driving at 94. People should not be stopped from driving just because of their age.
“If they want me to do a test tomorrow, I will gladly do it. I intend to carry on driving until I am as old as my jokes.”
Other elements of the new driving reforms include creating a new minimum period behind the wheel before learner drivers are allowed to take their tests.
Drivers under the age of 25 represent six per cent of licence holders but were involved in 24 per cent of fatal and serious crashes in 2024, according to Government figures.
The drink-drive limit may also be lowered from 35 micrograms per 100ml to 22 micrograms in England and Wales.
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Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices said in response to the proposed driving reforms: “This consultation paper reveals the weaknesses of the Government policy on introducing compulsory eye tests for older drivers.
“There is not a shred of evidence to justify why this should be introduced at the age of 70 rather than 60, 80 or 90. In general older drivers are much more careful than young tearaways who have just passed their test. There appears to have been no thinking on what the proposed tests will entail, who would do them and who would bear the cost.
“In particular there is no mention of the capacity of the system to undertake millions of tests over a short period of time, to stop older drivers who depend on their cars from losing their licences because of testing delays. The NHS in some areas is already struggling to carry out timely glaucoma and cataract testing and corrective procedures”.
