§ 3.12 p.m.
§ BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGERMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware that insurance companies commonly require elderly persons to produce a medical certificate of fitness to drive; and that those who are unable to produce a satisfactory certificate are no longer able to insure their own cars, but are in no way prevented from driving cars belonging to and insured by other people; and whether fitness to drive ought not to be a condition of holding a driving licence rather than a title of insurance of a particular car.]
§ LORD HILTON OF UPTONMy Lords, we are aware of the practice mentioned by my noble friend. I understand that motor insurers ask for these medical certificates so that they can better assess the risk they are being asked to underwrite. This is a matter for their commercial judgment. It is quite a separate matter from refusing people their right to drive, on medical or other grounds, by withholding their driving licences. Rules about medical fitness of drivers already exist in the Road Traffic Act 1960 and the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1963. The question of how best to assess medical fitness is being reviewed, but I cannot say what changes will be made.
§ BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGERMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. Would he not agree that the present situation is quite anomalous?—because if an elderly person is refused insurance at all (which may well happen), he is refused any insurance on his own car, although he can still hold a driving licence and drive somebody else's car. 355 Would not my noble friend agree that if one is not fit to drive one's own car, one is not fit to drive somebody else's? Would he take steps to have this anomaly removed?
§ LORD HILTON OF UPTONMy Lords, I agree with my noble friend that there are anomalies, and I agree with a good deal of what she has said. I will certainly draw the attention of my right honourable friend to the Question which she has put and ask him to look into it.
§ THE EARL OF CRANBROOKMy Lords, would not the noble Lord think it desirable that everybody should be required to pass a test at the age of 70?
§ LORD HILTON OF UPTONMy Lords, this is really another Question, but I will draw this point to attention of my right honourable friend.
LORD FARINGDONMy Lords, if it is going to be necessary for elderly people to qualify more strictly for their driving licences, which I think is highly desirable, would my noble friend consider some means by which these people will be enabled to make up for the loss of transport which they will suffer from the stricter regulations?
§ LORD HILTON OF UPTONMy Lords, that is rather another Question, but I would point out to my noble friend that, although he and other people are concerned about elderly drivers, it is a fact that the rate of involvement of drivers over the age of 60 in injury accidents is well below the general average.