Courses gauge older drivers' ability at the wheel

Emergency services are running a series of courses to help older drivers ensure they know how to stay safe when driving - and when it might be time to call it a day.

West Mercia Police, Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) and the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) are offering 20 sessions at locations across Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire between June and August.

Participants in the two-hour classes use virtual reality headsets to test their hazard perception and reaction times.

"The overall message is that driving is a career, and it doesn't go on forever," said Sgt Dan Bate, the roads policing sergeant for Worcestershire.

Bate added there were steps people could take to extend their driving careers, such as having regular eye tests, buying a car with a shorter bonnet to provide better visibility, and even taking up Pilates and yoga to improve their flexibility - but said that ultimately, everyone had to stop driving at some point.

"We want to normalise the conversation around driving careers, and around asking families to have those difficult conversations," he explained.

Mike Harvey, 77, who was among those attending the first session at Redditch Police and Fire Station on Tuesday, said: "I'm very conscious of the fact that as you get older, some of your faculties are not working as well as they used to.

"If you're driving two tonnes of metal around, the safety of what you're doing needs to be at the highest level.

"So if your abilities are declining, you need to make sure you understand that."

Harvey added that he hoped to continue driving at least until he was 80, but would continue to assess his abilities behind the wheel.

"There's a checklist of things you need to keep reminding yourself of," he explained. "Can you see all right? Can you hear all right? Can you manoeuvre the car effectively? Is your hazard perception good?

"And if any of those falls short, then you need to review whether or not you should be driving."

Jean Heeney, 75, said: "I used to drive a school minibus, and I've driven all over, but I was losing my confidence."

She said the course made her realise she was a better driver than she realised, as she spotted most of the hazards presented on the headset.

"But I don't like driving at night, and I'll only do it if I have to," she added.

Tony Burbery, 77, has been driving for nearly 60 years. His wife relies on him to get around as she can no longer drive.

"I owe it to her to try and keep driving as long as I can," he said. "But I owe it to her as well to drive as safely as I can."

But he added that he would give up as soon as the time was right.

"I've got children who hopefully will tell me when it's time to stop," he said.

"But hopefully I'll recognise it myself."

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