Driving after 70: what you need to know
Guidance on driving after 70
As we get older, driving can become more challenging, so being mindful of your changing driving abilities is important for your own safety and the safety of others. Getting older does not mean you must give up driving, but there may be new rules, regulations and safety precautions to be aware of. Here, we are looking at the requirements for driving after age 70, how to maintain your driving skills for safety, how to know when it’s time to stop driving, alternative transportation options, and how families or caregivers can support older people who continue to drive or who decide to stop driving.
At Home Instead, our aim is to help people age positively and in place by bringing expert care to their home. For nearly 20 years, we have been providing the highest standard of care, and creating industry-leading training programmes for our Care Professionals that are accredited by nursing and medical professionals. Today, we are the world’s largest global domiciliary care network, supporting over 100,000 older adults with personalised, tailored care at home. So whatever questions you have about driving after 70, we can help.
Can people aged over 70 still drive?
Yes, people aged over 70 years old and over in the UK can still legally drive, although after their 70th birthday they must renew their driving licence every 3 years, as opposed to every 10 years for those under 70 years old.
How do I renew my driving licence when I turn 70?
You must renew your driving licence every 3 years once you turn 70, and you can do this fairly easily online for free. A practical driving test is not necessary to renew your licence.
The DVLA will usually send out a D46P application form around 90 days before your 70th birthday, but if you don’t receive one, you can usually pick one up from a Post Office instead. You can renew your licence if you have turned 70 years old, or will turn 70 years old in the next 90 days.
To do this, you will need to be a resident of Great Britain (Northern Ireland has a different system for renewals), meet the eyesight requirements (see below), and have nothing legally preventing you from driving. You will be asked to make a health declaration about any health conditions that may affect your ability to drive safely. If you do have a health condition or a disability, you may be asked to undergo an assessment.
Please note, if you need to renew a C1 licence (for medium-sized vehicles) or a D1 licence (for minibuses) then you will need to do this via post instead of online. Also, for a standard licence renewal, if your name has changed since your last renewal you may need to do this at the Post Office.
Renewing online
While going through the online process you will need an email address, your National Insurance number, all the addresses you have lived at for the last 3 years, and, if you also want to change your photo, a valid UK passport number.
You can renew your licence on the gov.uk website here.
Renewing at the Post Office
You can also choose to renew your licence at a Post Office by taking the reminder letter and your previous licence to any Post Office that deals with DVLA photocard licence renewals.
Renewing by post
If you have been sent a D46P form, you can renew by post. With a photocard licence, you can fill out the D46P form and return it to the DVLA with your current driving licence photocard. You may also be asked to send a new passport-style photo, so read the instructions carefully. If you need assistance with this, you can ask a family member or caregiver to help.
If you have a paper licence, you should also fill in the D46P form and return it to the DVLA with an up-to-date passport-style photo. Remember, it can take up to 3 weeks to renew your licence by post, so if you want to speed up the process it may be faster to do this online.
What else do I need to do to keep driving safely?
Health requirements
You are not required to get a medical examination in order to renew your licence, but if you live with a health condition or a disability, you must notify the DVLA as soon as possible and provide them with details if your condition has worsened since you last renewed your licence.
Declaring a medical condition (such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease or epilepsy) does not mean you will be forced to stop driving, so you should never avoid doing this in fear of having your independence taken away. The DVLA may simply ask that you undergo a medical examination before they renew your licence, or may recommend adaptations to your vehicle. A medical check-up is recommended after 70 regardless of any health conditions in order to make sure you can stay safe on the road for yourself and others.
Eyesight requirements
The minimum eyesight requirements for continuing to drive state that you must:
- Be able to read (with glasses or contact lenses, if needed) a car number plate made after 1st September 2001 from 20 metres away
- Have a visual acuity of at least decimal 0.5 (6/12) measured on the Snellen scale (with glasses or contact lenses, if needed) using both eyes together or, if you have sight in one eye only, in that eye
- Have an adequate field of vision
You are not required to have an eye test to renew your licence, but you will be asked to declare that you meet these standards. It is recommended that you have an eye test every 2 years regardless of eye health, and if you are over 70, it is recommended to get an eye test once a year. If you have any questions or concerns about this, you can speak to an optician for more information.
You can read more in our guide to how often older adults should get an eye test.
Regular refresher courses
You don’t need to retake your driving test after 70, but it can help to stay in the know about any updates to the rules of the road in recent years, and perhaps to take a driving refresher course to improve your skills and confidence. Courses such as the Mature Driver Review from the Institute for Advanced Motorists are helpful for this, but you can find many other options by speaking to your local council or searching for nearby providers.
Many older people begin to worry that they do not have the same driving abilities they once did, so if you would feel more comfortable taking a driving assessment to ensure you still have the skills you need, you can do this through a driver assessment schemewhich many local councils offer.
You can also find helpful resources and assessments at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Institute of Advanced Motorists, where the assessors can provide you with a report which advises you on how you can improve your driving skills.
Mobility centres can also help those living with medical conditions or a disability, by assessing physical and cognitive skills for driving and potentially recommending car adaptations.
Remember to regularly refresh your knowledge of the Highway Code, which can be found here.
When should I stop driving?
There is no specific age when people are supposed to stop driving, provided they continue to meet the health and eyesight requirements stated above, and they renew their licence every 3 years after age 70. However, for many older adults, driving can become stressful, more challenging and potentially scary.
If you are wondering whether you should stop driving, you can look out for signs such as:
- Slower reaction times
- Difficulty multitasking while driving
- Difficulty staying within the lanes or merging to another lane
- Coordination difficulties
- Increased confusion
- Vision problems
- Hearing problems
- Memory problems
- Having near misses on a regular basis, or minor accidents
- Speeding or other violations
- Increased anxiety or frustration while driving
- Concerns from loved ones
- Taking medication that impacts your ability to drive
- Reliance on GPS navigation even on familiar routes
Sometimes it can help to reduce your driving slowly, such as stopping driving at night, or only doing local journeys. If you are concerned about any of the above experiences, it may help to speak to your family or a caregiver and ask them to observe your driving to get their opinion on whether or not it is safe for you to continue doing so.
If you wish to voluntarily surrender your driving licence, you can find out more about how to do this on the gov.uk website.
How can I continue to travel when I stop driving?
Stopping driving may feel like losing your independence, but in many places around the country, from big cities to small villages, there are alternative transportation options available for older adults, such as buses, trains, taxis, community transport services, and more.
These options can seem overwhelming at first glance, but once you know where you need to go on a routine basis (for example, your doctor’s office, the nearest shopping centre, or to a friend’s home) you can start to learn the most direct routes that will take you there easily.
By slowly building up an understanding of local bus routes, train lines and taxi options, you can enjoy getting out and socialising independently without the anxiety of driving a car. By giving up driving you could also save on potentially expensive car insurance for over 70 year olds, car maintenance appointments, finding parking spaces, and other stressful things associated with driving.
You can learn more in our guide to free bus passes, senior railcards, and other travel advice for over 60s.
How can families help older loved ones decide whether to continue driving?
It is important to support an older loved one in order to maintain their confidence and independence, but in some cases families may notice their driving abilities begin to decrease over time. If they are aware of this and agree that they should consider stopping driving, you can talk openly with them about their feelings and options so they do not feel their independence is being stripped away, and can make the decision for themselves.
You may wish to recommend a driving refresher course, assessment, or ask them to allow you to observe their driving if you haven’t seen them do this in a while. Starting this discussion early, before your loved one needs to give up driving, can be a good way to ease into the idea and get them comfortable with alternative transport options early.
If you are concerned about a loved one’s dangerous driving and they are not open to talking about it, then conversations about this can be tricky. You may need to have more of a serious sit-down discussion to lay out the reasons why you believe they should no longer drive, the risks, and alternative solutions to help maintain their independence without a car.
If you have serious concerns about an older loved one’s driving, you can also write to the DVLA in confidence to let them know. The DVLA may contact the local police to make them aware of the situation. While this may seem like an extreme option, the safety of your loved one and other drivers on the road should be a top priority.
How can home care help older adults with driving?
Home care services could be helpful for older adults who are no longer able to drive, or who are slowly reducing their car journeys with a long-term view of giving this up. For example, home care services could:
- Accompany older adults in their vehicle to provide support if they have driving anxiety
- Assist with transportation to local activities, doctor’s appointments and more
- Ensure timely arrival at their destinations
- Plan out journeys for them on public transport
- Accompany older adults on public transport to help them get used to using it
- Help them manage any paperwork involved in renewing their driving licence
If you or a loved one need help with driving or alternative travel options, our friendly, supportive Care Professionals can provide the support you need. You can reach out to your local Home Instead office to discuss your options.
We’re an award-winning home care provider and part of a worldwide organisation devoted to providing the highest-quality relationship-led care for older people in their own homes. Arranging care for yourself or your loved one shouldn’t be stressful, so whatever questions you would like answered, feel free to reach out to the Home Instead team to discuss your needs.