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ITV ought to respect elderly motorists [Guest blog]

There are currently 230 motorists over the age of 100 driving around roads in Great Britain. Incredibly, 19 of these veterans are over the age of 103.

One of these, 103-year-old Eileen Ash, is not planning to swap her yellow mini for a mobility scooter anytime soon. She played cricket for England in the 1930s and uses her zippy little car to attend golf, bowls, yoga and bridge each week.

Eileen was one of the ‘stars’ of ITV’s 100-Year-old Drivers Ride Again. She probably had a wonderful story of the changes she has experienced during eight decades behind the wheel.

Then there was 86-year-old Alistair Pugh, who once ran British Caledonian, but now still races his rare pre-war BMW around tracks like Brands Hatch.

And 95-year-old Laura Thomas, still giving driving lessons around the Welsh valleys – over 70 years since she gave her first one.

Sadly, we didn’t get to hear their stories because reality telly is about short, sharp segments – nothing too long or dull. Participants have to have gone on ‘journeys’, have ‘sob stories’, and speak of their love for their ‘dead nan’.

This being a show about elderly drivers, there was plenty of all of that, of course – but it could have aimed so much higher.

Imagine the meeting of telly executives, sitting on stylish but fashionably uncomfortable chairs in a meeting room at ITV HQ, as they discussed possible pitches for programmes featuring the elderly.

‘We need to feature more old people on telly – to prove that we are fully inclusive – but what do they actually “do”?’

Judging by the adverts on daytime telly, their interests don’t go much further than buying life insurance, travel insurance for the over 50s , saving for their funerals and sending off for invisible hearing aids.

A bright spark in the corner mentions that he’s seen figures about people still driving into their advanced years.

You can see light bulbs flashing on above all the heads in the room. Brilliant! The chance to feature old people and throw in some mockery.

This was definitely an ‘entertainment’ programme aiming for cheap laughs, not to educate or explain. That’s because old people are funny, right? And dangerous. They can hardly walk. How can they drive?!

This being ‘reality’ telly, only a handful of those featured were actually centenarians. The others were mere striplings in their 80s and 90s.

It would be best to describe the tone of the programme as being one of sneering incredulity that these people are actually driving around.

Cue numerous young people questioning whether these old codgers should still be behind the wheel. Though, statistically, young teen drivers are more of a risk than rheumy-eyed oldies.

And, according to the DVLA, there is no legal age at which you should stop driving – subject to health and eyesight being up to the mark. Over the age of 70, licences have to be renewed every three years and, apart from severe cases, it is very much a decision for the individual.

Bert, 100, bowed to pressure from his daughter to take an advanced driving assessment and pledged to give up driving if he failed.

He gave the instructor short-shrift when asked: ‘What’s happening behind?’ Bert grumpily replied: ‘I’m too busy looking at what’s happening at the front – sorry, you’ll have to look behind.’

Despite a few shaky moments – going over the speed limit and over-shooting a junction, narrowly missing a juggernaut – Bert passed with flying colours. He celebrated by going up for a glider flight.

Requisite Sob Story was provided by 95-year-old Vic, still driving around in the green Ford Consul he bought 65 years ago. Vic also provided the dead nan AND the journey. He broke down as he read a poem he’d written for his late wife Alma on their diamond wedding anniversary. And, these days, he goes on a short journey each week, to visit her grave.

With his quiet dignity, Vic probably had a wonderful tale to tell, in his soft Black Country accent, about how the car had transformed his life and given so much joy to him and his family. And how he had kept it in such pristine condition. But we never got to hear it.

There’s no doubt many elderly people shouldn’t be on the roads – but these were no ordinary elderly people. ITV missed a trick by treating them as freak show novelties, rather than interesting people who’ve travelled from roads with 1 million cars on them to the 35 million we have today.


Guest Blog by Nigel Pauley. Nigel is a Fleet Street journalist currently berthed at the Sunday Mirror, who, if he reaches 100, will happily be chauffeured around.

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