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The oldest people in Kent with full or provisional driving licences

With an ageing population, it's not surprising there are many older drivers on the road.

But just how old are Kent's most senior licence holders?

According to the DVLA that feat goes to a 102-year-old man, while the oldest woman is 100.

Full driving licence. Picture: GettyImages
Full driving licence. Picture: GettyImages

Perhaps more shockingly, the oldest person in Kent with a provisional licence is 96, and the second oldest is 90, it revealed following a Freedom of Information request.

Once you reach the age of 70, photocard renewal must take place every three years. Before this age, it is every 10 years.

Insurance company Saga's Paul Green said: "It is great news that people are living longer and healthier lives.

"This means that more of us are able to safely drive later in life.

"Remaining mobile is important for maintaining social connections as well as for practical day-to-day needs.

"We find that older drivers adjust their driving habits and are typically flexible about when they use their cars - so they can avoid driving at night, or at busy times and they take more heed of weather warnings.

"All drivers need to be medically fit to drive and behave resposibly on the road.

"The most dangerous age for motorists remains your late teens and early 20s."

The most significant drop off in numbers of full and provisional driving licence holders comes from the age of 69 to 70, dropping by more than a fifth and by 95% respectively.

There are 1,167,210 people in Kent with a full driving licence and another 186,949 with a provisional.

This means around 64% of Kent's population hold a full licence and around 75% hold either a full or provisional.

As it stands, there are more women with provisional driving licences - nearly 20,000 more than men.

There are more drivers under 20 than there are older than 90. Picture: GettyImages
There are more drivers under 20 than there are older than 90. Picture: GettyImages

In Kent, you're most likely to hold a licence if you're aged between 42 and 58.

The peak age for women to hold a full licence is 51, while it's 52 for men.

There are also seven 16-year-olds in Kent who hold a full driving licence - which the government allows for people with disabilities claiming the Personal Independence Payment.

The peak age in Kent to hold a provisional licence is 17-years-old.

There are 10 times the number of drivers under 20 on the road than drivers older than 90 - 30,112 compared to 3,009.

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