A driving licence can offer freedom and flexibility at any age. In this article, we meet two motorists who have used driving to help make the most of later life

When Jenny Taylor arrived at her daughter’s new house in rural Norfolk, she felt a huge sense of achievement.

Jenny was in her late sixties and had recently lost her husband Michael to cancer. Her daughter and family had moved to the east coast for a quieter life. This put them a two-hour drive from Jenny’s home in Enfield, Greater London.

Jenny owned a car but dreaded motorways and felt uncomfortable on twisting rural roads. Coupled with her sense of feeling bereft after Michael’s death, the significance of her completing the journey becomes clear.

As she clambered from her Peugeot 106 to be greeted by her grandsons, she couldn’t quite believe what she’d done. Here she was, her anxieties overcome. She’d proved she could do it.

Jenny: Learning to drive in later life

Such courage has been a part of Jenny’s driving story right from the get-go, after she decided to take her test aged 45.

“It was around the time of Michael’s first cancer diagnosis that I decided I should learn to drive,” she explains. “I contacted a local instructor who was renowned for getting anyone through their test. I told him I could be his biggest challenge yet!”

After months of painstaking practice, Jenny passed on her first attempt. And while she made a point of driving somewhere local every day, she let Michael take the wheel for long trips.

“We didn’t have an easy time with Michael’s health, but my ability to drive became even more important after he died and I knew I would have to face the longer journeys,” she says.

“Having a licence has ensured I retain my independence. I can get out with my friends and see my family. I don’t feel like I’m a burden to others, which is great for my mental wellbeing, too.”

Knowing when to stop driving

Jenny has since made the difficult decision to hand in her licence and sell the Peugeot. She has glaucoma, which affects her peripheral vision.

It’s important to note here, that there are visual disorders, such as ‘bilateral glaucoma’, which must be declared to the DVLA. If you would like to learn more about what medical conditions drivers need to declare, click here.

For Jenny, she decided it was the right time to make full use of her bus pass and free train travel in the capital.

Elsie: Reclaiming the wheel in a new country

The idea of flexibility is also what inspired Elsie Lenton to take a driving test in her early sixties. She’d driven in her native country, Argentina, but it had been several decades since she last touched the wheel. Upon settling in Lancashire in 2010, she decided to secure a UK licence and explore her new home.

“Three of my children live down south, so I wanted to visit them without relying on public transport,” she explains. “I’m now very familiar with the M6, but my favourite place to drive is Scotland. We go there on holiday and I just love the sweeping roads and dramatic scenery.”

Getting to grips with the new theory test

Elsie had three lessons to refresh her technique and familiarise herself with UK driving before taking her test.

“The practical I found fairly straightforward,” she remarks, “but the theory test was something new. Elements like the hazard perception definitely keep you on your mettle when you’re in your sixties!”

Click here to see if you could still pass the driving theory test.

The advantages of mature driving

Elsie prides herself on paying close attention to other road users. Her two sons are keen cyclists, so she has a mother’s appreciation of the risk she could pose to others if she loses concentration. “I’m old enough to know that humans aren’t invincible,” she says. “That definitely has an impact on how I drive.”

Elsie and Jenny agree that greater life experience can help make people in their age group more careful drivers.

The two women are also united in their advice to others like them. “If you’re in your fifties or sixties I’d say go for it,” says Jenny.

And Elsie adds: “Embrace the adventure. You won’t look back. Since passing my test, I’ve driven all over the UK: Wales, the Lake District, Yorkshire, the South West. Having a licence gives me freedom to explore.”