As IAM RoadSmart’s well-regarded Mature Driver Assessment undergoes its own mid-life makeover, the charity is offering the chance to win an exclusive lunch at Silverstone Circuit with its Mature Driver Ambassador, renowned rally and racing driver Paddy Hopkirk MBE.

As of now, IAM RoadSmart’s Mature Driver Assessment will become the Mature Driver Review. The content and price (£49) of the 60 minute session will remain the same.

Sarah Sillars, IAM RoadSmart Chief Executive Officer, said: “We didn’t want mature drivers to be scared off by the word ‘assessment,’ as there is no pass or fail with the Mature Driver Review. It is all about giving the driver a reassurance that their driving is still up to standard and to offer an extra confidence boost as our roads get more congested."

IAM RoadSmart has long said that older drivers are sometimes pressured into giving up driving long before they need to – leading to isolation and in some cases depression as the individual loses a key part of their freedom. As we have a steadily aging population, with 10,000 people reaching their 70th birthday each month in the UK (reference 1), maintaining safe mobility is a an issue that can no longer be ignored.

IAM RoadSmart’s commissioned its own survey Keeping Older Drivers Safe and Mobile, which showed older drivers themselves are keen to drive as long as they are safely able to do so (reference 2).

Sarah said: “Older drivers are some of the safest on our roads – we are very keen that they don’t hang up their car keys before they need to. Isolating older people by taking their cars away from them will impact heavily on society and increase demands on our health services.”

IAM RoadSmart has long advocated that independent assessments to allow mature drivers to get a ‘seal of approval’ for their driving ability should be more widely available and they should be offered incentives to take them up in greater numbers (reference 3)

The Mature Driver Review involves an IAM RoadSmart expert going out with the driver in their own car on familiar local roads, to assess their driving style and to watch out for any areas where skills could do with some sharpening.

The review is informal – candidates can bring a friend to ride along if they like. Ninety per cent of older drivers reviewed by IAM RoadSmart need only some minor guidance to set them back on the right road.

After the review, drivers not only get a verbal report on their skills but also a written account of the session, which includes pointers to improvement.

To find out more about the Mature Driver Review click here: https://www.iamroadsmart.com/courses/mature-driver-review

To mark the name change, we are offering a chance for two people and a guest each to enjoy a three-course lunch with Paddy Hopkirk himself at the BRDC Clubhouse at Silverstone Circuit on 15 June as a competition prize, open to everyone.

The BRDC Clubhouse is not open to the public, so this is a unique opportunity to meet the great man himself and hear some of the amazing stories that have made Paddy a legend in the world rallying scene.

Although he is famous for winning the 1964 Monte Carlo and 1967 Acropolis Rallies, he also raced at the fearsome Le Mans 24 Hours as well as many other circuits around the world. Paddy was also greatly admired for giving up a sure win in the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon to rescue with his co-driver a fellow competitor from his burning car.

For a chance of winning this unique prize, just answer the following three easy questions and email your answers to [email protected] by noon on 1 June.

1. What car did Paddy Hopkirk drive when he won the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally?

2. Who was Paddy’s co-driver in the 1964 Monte Carlo rally?

3. And what was that car’s registration number?