Elderly driver accidents at all-time high after bus cuts leave them with ‘few options’

Number of motorists over 70 involved in traffic collisions hits all-time high, data analysed by The Telegraph reveals

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Bus service cuts appear to be fuelling a surge in car crashes involving the elderly.
The number of drivers over 70 involved in traffic collisions has hit an all-time high as more stay behind the wheel decades into retirement, Department for Transport (DfT) data analysed by The Telegraph shows.
Thousands of pensioners have been involved in crashes over the past few years, coinciding with a significant reduction in bus services, especially in rural areas.
Elderly people are the most likely age group to be involved in collisions – and the number of driving licences issued to the over-70s has doubled since 2003.
Michael Solomon Williams, from the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “The decimation of the rural bus network over the past decade means older people have few options for getting around if they stop driving; the concessionary bus pass is only of use if there’s a bus to catch.”
He added: “Older people need confidence that they won’t be disconnected from friends, family and medical care if they stop driving, which means lost bus routes must be reinstated and long-term funding agreed to keep buses running.”
Dennis Reed, director of pensioner lobby group Silver Voices, said: “If there’s no public transport available, then the only alternatives are very expensive taxis, which a lot of people can’t afford, or somebody giving them a lift – a friendly neighbour, or something like that – or trying to keep your little car on the road.”
On average, people aged over 70 are driving 50 per cent further every year than they did 20 years ago, suggesting a substantial increase in car use among the elderly.
The rate of elderly drivers involved in traffic collisions has remained roughly even compared to the total number of motorists, DfT data reveals.
Other figures show that since 2005 the number of miles driven by bus services has fallen by a quarter, declining from 1.6 billion miles to 1.2 billion miles.
Bus mileage is used by the Government as an approximation of the number of bus routes and service frequencies on those routes.
Rural areas have seen their bus route mileage cut by 28 per cent since 2005, while cuts in major cities outside of London have fallen from 197 million miles to 142 million miles.
Campaigners said buses are mostly used by the elderly – and a reduction in services risked making it more difficult for some to socialise or attend appointments.
Caroline Abrahams, Age UK’s charity director, said public transport was a “crucial consideration” for tackling loneliness and isolation among older people.
“Buses are the most popular form of public transport for older people, yet lack of access to transport can have a profound impact on their quality of life, health and wellbeing. For example, 66 per cent of older people cannot reach a hospital within 30 minutes by public transport.
“With so many bus routes being cut in recent years, we frequently hear from people who struggle to access services and get out and about as a result.”
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “We shouldn’t view the challenge as simply one of getting veteran drivers to hang up their car keys but of assisting those who continue driving to do so safely, while also helping them recognise when the time has come to leave the driving to someone else.”
He added: “For all the talk of active travel and other modes of transport, a car is the most practical way of getting about for many elderly people, particularly those in areas where alternatives – buses, for example – are all but non-existent, and where isolation and loneliness can be very real issues.”
The Government announced in the Budget that a national cap on bus fares outside London would rise from £2 to £3 while funding for local councils for bus routes was increased by £925 million.
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