Motorsport legend Paddy Hopkirk rallies to cause of older drivers

Rally legend Paddy Hopkirk needs no introduction to motorsport fans of a certain age which makes him ideal to be the new mature driver ambassador for road safety charity Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

The 82-year-old, who won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964 in a Mini Cooper, will be championing the cause of the older driver for the organisation.

Paddy will be promoting the IAM's Mature Driver's Assessment while also delivering safe driving advice – an area he is passionate about.

Paddy said: 'With the numbers of drivers age 70 or more now increasing by over 10,000 a month, the Mature Driver's Assessment is a great way for older people to gain the reassurance they need on increasingly congested British roads.'

The IAM assessment, a 60-minute one-off session in the driver's own vehicle administered by a qualified assessor, gives an overview of any areas of the candidate's driving that might need improving as well as any areas of concern. There is no pass/fail rating at the end but every candidate is given a written report of how they have performed.

Paddy was relieved to find he had fared extremely well after taking the assessment.

'Everyone needs to revisit their abilities, and to get that from someone who is both independent and sympathetic to the driver is very valuable,' he said. 'Everyone can be a better, safer driver – even someone who has won races and rallies.'

For more information visit www.iam.org.uk/drivers and follow the links.

Who else would you suggest as a mature driver ambassador? Email motoring@archant.co.uk