These older drivers are trained to “drive without being a public danger”

Years after passing your driving test, are you still as comfortable behind the wheel? Can we still drive safely? The issue torments authorities and road safety specialists, who periodically raise the possibility of establishing periodic medical examinations for drivers.

While waiting for a possible change in legislation, some older drivers are already choosing to participate in -optional- refresher sessions. Like Raymond, who wanted to “test (his) abilities” on him.

“I wanted to see if the precautions I’ve been taking more and more in recent years were enough to allow me to drive without being a public danger,” he explains to BFMTV.com.

“A quarter of road deaths”

Matmut offers the half-day course that BFMTV.com attends for free. “Mortality among people over 65 years of age represents almost a quarter of road mortality,” recalls the mutual insurance company on its website.

Stated objective of the training: “become aware that driving ability progressively decreases with age” and know how to “adapt behavior to avoid finding oneself in risky situations.”

“Everyone could use a little reminder,” says Vincent Boudier, Matmut Prevention instructor.

“But the people who are really interested in these types of practices are the ones who want to question themselves. We are here to give advice and tools to these people who are taking this first step,” he continues.

Theory and practice

The training includes a theoretical part, but also a practical part, with, for example, a workshop on emergency braking.

“It is very important that people see the limits of a vehicle today because the limits of a vehicle today are no longer those of a vehicle from 20 or 25 years ago,” explains Nino Lala, advanced instructor.

“We’ve added systems like ABS to make today’s cars much safer than they were back then,” he continues. “And that’s why today we have to show people where we can go.”

If an insurance company organizes the course, the half-day will have no impact on the contract. Whatever the level of reflexes of the insured on the road.