Bereaved Britons have called on Labour and the DVLA to introduce new rules to crack down on elderly drivers who may not be fit to be behind the wheel of a vehicle.
Chantelle Cattermole has spoken out about her mother, Rose Macandrew, after she was killed in a supermarket car park by an 89-year-old driver.
In July 2024, Rose Macandrew died after being hit by a car at a Waitrose store in Newark, Nottinghamshire, with an inquest hearing that it was caused by an elderly driver.
They heard that the male driver of the vehicle became confused when he hit the accelerator instead of the brake, prompting a coroner to write to the Government about the ability of older motorists.
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Bereaved campaigners have called for increased checks for elderly drivers
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The inquest heard that the 89-year-old driver was told by another person in the supermarket car park that he had damaged another car, at which point, he reversed out of his space at speed.
He collided with several other vehicles, with the inquest reporting that Ms Macandrew was trapped under the wheels of the vehicle.
The motorist admitted being "confused", but he was still legally allowed to drive since he was renewing his licence every three years.
Once a motorist turns 70, they are required to renew their licence every three years, rather than every 10 years like all younger age groups.
They are not required to take any physical exams or eye tests, allowing them to self-certify whether they think they are safe, which has prompted some concerns in recent years.
The assistant coroner in the case, Beth Brown, said the inquest would be sent to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander regarding concerns that "further deaths may arise in circumstances similar to these".
Chantelle Cattermole told the BBC that older drivers should face more scrutiny with proper assessments to confirm they are safe to operate a vehicle.
She said: "First and foremost, I think there should be better communication between the healthcare side [and] the DVLA.
"I've had a lot of messages just recently saying that there's a lot of families in the same boat, where they're wanting to take the keys off a family member, they've even reported a family member to the DVLA, sharing their concerns. This, I think, could have been prevented."
She added that if the 89-year-old driver had been operating a manual vehicle, the accident would not have happened and her mother would still be alive.
Macandrew's family said they did not want anyone to go through the same situation that they had to deal with.
Her daughter, Chantelle, described Rose Macandrew as the "most beautiful lady" and the "backbone" of their family unit.
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Older motorists are required to renew their driving licence every three years PAA spokesperson for the Department for Transport confirmed that it would assess the details included in the coroner's report once it arrives.
They added: "This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with Rosemary's family. All drivers are required to ensure they are medically fit to drive, and all car drivers over 70 must renew their licence every three years.
"The Government is committed to improving road safety and we continue to explore ways to achieve this."
