Is over 80 too old to be driving?

My 82 year old mother still drives, many friends rely on her to give them lifts!
She did lose confidence after my Dad died 4 years ago. She's particularly nervous when tail gated (who isn't?) and is dazzled by oncoming lights at night.
So she had an assessment with a driving instructor who gave her some tips and confirmed that her driving is fine.
OTOH she related a phone call to me yesterday from an American friend who's in her late 80's and has early dementia. Apparently this friend has seen her doctor and is thrilled that she has been given permission to keep driving till her late 90's. Makes your blood run cold.

There is no evidence to suggest that elderly drivers are a danger on the roads , in fact it is the 20-24 year olds who cause most accidents and have more fatalities whilst driving. I am very much against extra testing of elderly divers which could result in them losing their independence for no good reason , we all have off days and could fail a test for numerous reasons not connected to our driving competence .

I have modified my driving as I have got older (65) , I don`t drive in the dark in unfamiliar places now or drive on motorways if the weather is bad , I think most people know their own limitations. It is a different story if you know an elderly person or a person of any age is careless or wreckless on the road , but just testing because someone reaches a certain age is not right .

My X was always trying to put an end to his 80 year old Mums driving and car ownership and she was certainly a safer driver than he was . She stopped driving herself when she reached 90 as she was beginning to feel nervous with the sheer amount of traffic on the roads .

Some people are fit to drive at 80 but I do agree that a driving test around the mid 70's as jing suggests is probably a good idea

I'm not a great fan of yet more testing BUT I don't see how it's still possible to pass your driving test without ever having driven on a motorway, then drive on a motorway. I've been genuinely unnerved during the recent heavy rain/high winds to see so many drivers driving very fast in conditions when a) they can't see and b) they couldn't possibly stop their car if they had to. So, I'd have everyone re-take a test at intervals,maybe every 20 years. Anyone who caused an accident by careless or dangerous driving would be expected to re take the driving test (that's when i rule the world folks, so you're safe)

I think 75 is a good age to test.

I think there should be mandatory health checks. And a driving test at, say, seventyfive.

The answer is that it depends on the driver. Some 80 year olds would be fine - and indeed the stats show that older drivers tend to be more safe - mainly I think because they alter their driving habits to suit their abilities, e.g. only driving familiar routes or not driving after dark.

We do not know what has caused this dreadful accident - the driver may have suffered a stroke or a heart attack, and, although these are more common in the elderly, it could have happened to anyone.