Four in five drivers would consider going back to driving school - but do Staffordshire residents agree?
17% of drivers said their reason for wanting a refresher is that they wanted reassurance about their during due to getting older.
Four in five drivers would consider a professional refresher says research from the AA.
Elderly drivers can spend decades on the road after passing their test without having their driving professionally observed again with roads, vehicles and rules changing or drivers becoming less familiar with their driving skills. 17% of drivers said their reason for wanting a refresher is that they wanted reassurance about their during due to getting older.
But do residents in our region agree? We headed down to Lichfield to find out!
Lesley, aged 69, from Alrewas, said: “I think it's a good idea personally, I can't drive for a year because I've just been diagnosed with a vocal epilepsy but I think it's a good thing long as it's not just people over 70.
“I think everybody would benefit from that sort of thing, not just people over a certain age,” said Lesley.
More than a quarter of men in AA’s research say there are no circumstances in which they would consider taking professional support to refresh their driving skills compared to just 12% of women.
However, 26 year old Josh from Lichfield was in favour of the lessons.
He said: “I think I think it's a good idea on the whole, because I think you learn a lot of real experience after you pass your test, which is crucial. But equally, there'll be things that you don't do very often. If you're living in the countryside, you're not going to be able to scratch on motorways necessarily.”
Speaking about the findings of the research, Ian Stinchcombe, an AA Driving School instructor, said: “There are certain times when having an instructor alongside you can be particularly useful, such as after a collision has affected your confidence, if you haven't driven for a while or as you get older and want some reassurance about your driving,” said Stinchcombe
"People can understandably feel apprehensive at first, particularly if it's been decades since they last had a driving instructor sitting next to them.
"Sometimes the most valuable thing you can give an experienced driver isn't a long list of things they're doing wrong. It's reassurance about what they're already doing well, alongside a few things they can think about or improve," he added.