AAA study shows senior drivers want more frequent tests to renew licenses

Patty Pauley, 69, of Colorado Springs has been driving for more than half a century.

“I’ve been driving since I was probably 10-years-old,” Pauley said. “My dad taught me how to drive on a tractor on the farm.”

As she approaches 70, she feels very confident behind the wheel.

“I feel really good,” Pauley said. “I love to drive. I’ve always loved to drive.”

A new study from AAA finds nine out of 10 people 65 and older are still driving.

Ninety percent reported no crashes in the last two years.

Seventy percent of drivers 65 and older favor more frequent driving tests to renew their licenses.

“I’m all in favor of taking tests, because the laws change all the time and there are more cars on the road than there used to be,” Pauley said.

The study also reveals 65 percent of drivers 75 and over say they do not use their cellphones when driving.

According to statistics, teens are the most dangerous in the driver’s seat.

Seniors are trying to change what might be that perception about them.

“They don’t want to be known as the most dangerous driver on the road, so they do ask for better testing and some monitoring from the state,” Maile Gray, the executive director of Drive Smart Colorado, said.

The study also shows about 70 percent of seniors 85 and over report driving at least five times a week.