PENSIONERS have always had a bad reputation when it comes to their driving ability.

The old jokes including ‘Never getting behind an older driver wearing a hat on a Sunday drive because you’ll never get past them’ have circulated for years.

But now there is proof that more mature motorists really are just as safe as their younger counterparts.

A report by the Institute of Advanced Motorists finds that contrary to widespread belief, older drivers have better attitudes to safety, deal with hazards better than young drivers and use experience to increase their safety margins on the road.

And the report reveals that drivers over 75 react just as quickly as other age groups when a vehicle emerges from a side road or if the car in front brakes suddenly on a rural road.

Although not always perfect – they were found to stop short at junctions and not look as often as others before pulling out – the official statistics show that people over 70 make up nine per cent of drivers but six per of driver casualties.

Insurance companies need to take note and ensure polices reflect this careful driving instead of charging hundreds of pounds just because someone has reached pensionable age.