Older drivers are “more at risk” of accidents than younger motorists with fatigue and concentration a major concern, according to a leading expert. 

John Rawlings, consumer editor at carwow has warned there are “issues with frailty” as motorists get older putting some at greater risk of injury behind the wheel of petrol, diesel or electric cars.

Meanwhile, John stressed there are fears around elderly road users getting “more tired” behind the wheel which can lead to “drops in concentration”. 

John claimed this meant older road users were “certainly more at risk” of some accidents than younger motorists in a major safety concern ahead of the summer. 

Speaking to Express.co.uk, he said: “They are at risk because of various factors. If they get involved in a collision then it hurts more and they won't mend quite as quickly.

"There are those issues of frailty that come with ageing. Reflexes will be a little bit slower and the actual physical ability amongst some much older drivers to even brake in time or press certain pedals as you can get certain confusions. 

"Putting the right amount of pressure on the brake pedal and also just making sure your foot is on the brake pedal and not the accelerator. 

“Also older drivers tend to get more tired and there are drops in concentration… Older drivers are certainly more at risk of fatigue-related collisions.”

Data from the Department for Transport reveals the scale of concern around elderly driver safety. 

The statistics revealed that in 2022 around a quarter of all car drivers killed in the UK were older drivers. 

Meanwhile, 11 percent of all casualties in car collisions involved older motorists.

A breakdown of the statistics revealed that concentration was a major factor behind many of the incidents.

A driver or rider failing to look properly was the number one contributory factor in FSCs (fatal and serious collisions) between 2017 and 2022. 

This made up 29 percent of accidents among the elderly compared to just 21 percent for “other car drivers”.

Failing to judge another person’s path or speed accounted for 14 percent of older driver shunts compared to just nine percent for other age ranges. 

“Driver or rider illness or disability, mental or physical” was responsible for 11 percent of older driver accidents. 

This made up just two percent of crashes among other road users which is more than a sizeable five times increase.