(PRWEB UK) 23 January 2014
In a society where people are living longer, inevitably, there are more elderly drivers than ever on the road.
Individuals are only required to sit their driving test once as part of the law, and this means that some elderly drivers will be involved in accidents due to a lack of training or refreshing skills which have perhaps deteriorated over the years.
In response to this, Dorset Council have introduced a research project which will provide free coaching lessons for elderly people to reduce possible road accidents.
Although statistics show that younger people are responsible for more accidents that those over 60, it is thought that this would help prepare for the fact that the number of elderly drivers on the road is only going to increase over the years. At present, there are over 1 million drivers aged 80 or over on the road, statistics which have been released by Dorset Police.
Rob Smith, the road safety manager for Dorset County Council said "a large proportion of crashes where the older driver is deemed blameworthy occur at junctions when turning right".
He went on to say "it may be due to failure to judge speed and distance properly due to the ageing process".
A spokesperson for Accident Advice Helpline, a leading law firm in the UK spoke about the free coaching lessons, “ Although elderly people may not be responsible for the majority of accidents on the road, any measures which can be taken to reduce these are welcomed by the Accident Advice Helpline.”
He added “ As drivers, we are not only responsible for our own safety on the road, but also the safety of other drivers and pedestrians, which is why we need to ensure we always take care on the road.”
Information in this press release has been developed in accordance with the article 'Dorset elderly drivers targeted in research project', released on the 22nd December 2013. The link to this article is http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-25451321
Accident Advice Helpline are an experienced company in helping people get the compensation they deserve, if they are involved in an accident which was someone else’s fault. If you think you are entitled to an injury claim, the lawyers at Accident Advice Helpline are there to offer advice and support. To find out more visit the website or call the helpline on 0800 689 0500.