Should Prince Philip still be driving at 97? Palace insist Duke’s licence is up to date

Prince Philip’s extraordinary Sandringham car crash has sparked debate over whether at 97 he is now too old to drive.

Norfolk Police is investigating the smash between the Duke of Edinburgh’s Land Rover and a Kia yesterday that left two women injured and a baby miraculously unhurt.

Prince Philip, who was dragged from the wreckage via his sunroof, is recovering today as Buckingham Palace confirmed he has an up to date driving licence renewed every three years since he was 70.

His friend Gyles Brandreth said that Philip is a ‘pragmatist and realist’ who will accept he should stay off the road if his wife the Queen tells him: ‘Old boy, it’s time to hang up the keys and give yourself a break’.

Mr Brandreth added: ‘I’m sure he’ll accept that, while possibly muttering under his breath’.

But with a new 4×4 delivered to the Duke at Sandringham today it suggests he could still resist with experts claiming younger drivers are statistically more likely to crash.

Prince Philip, pictured driving with his wife the Queen, would give up driving if his wife told him to, friends say, but his crash has sparked debate over whether 97 is too old

Prince Philip was 'conscious but very shocked and shaken' after a dramatic crash near his Sandringham Estate but does have an up to date driving licence, the Palace says

Prince Philip was ‘conscious but very shocked and shaken’ after a dramatic crash near his Sandringham Estate but does have an up to date driving licence, the Palace says

Philip is believed to have just left Sandringham, circled red, and was turning on to the A149  at this junction when he collided with a Kia and his car cartwheeled on to the other side of the road, circled blue

Philip is believed to have just left Sandringham, circled red, and was turning on to the A149  at this junction when he collided with a Kia and his car cartwheeled on to the other side of the road, circled blue

Prince Philip has a driving licence – but his wife is the only legal motorist in Britain without one 

The Duke of Edinburgh is from the first generation to need to pass a driving test to obtain a licence. 

He was born on June 10 1921 and compulsory testing for new drivers to obtain a licence was only introduced in Britain on June 1 1935.

This applied to all drivers and riders who started driving on or after April 1 1934 – when Philip was 12. 

Philip lived in both Europe and the UK as a boy, and enrolled at Dartmouth Naval College in 1939, and is believed to have have taken his test around then.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘The duke has got a driving licence and follows all of the usual DVLA procedures.’ 

Philip will have had to renew his licence every three years from the age of 70.

There is no driving test or medical examination, and it is down to drivers to declare whether or not they are fit to drive.

Applicants are urged to check with their doctor before applying and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) may make further investigations based on the declaration made. 

The only mandatory examination of vision takes place during the practical test, when learners must read a number plate from 20 metres.

Once someone has obtained their licence, it is up to them to tell the DVLA if they have a problem with their eyesight. 

The Queen does not having a driving licence.

She is exempt from the law requiring all other citizens to pass a test and hold a licence if they want to drive.

The monarch learned to drive with the Army in 1945 when she was 19 after she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service during the Second World War. She still drives herself around her estates.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘The duke has got a driving licence and follows all of the usual DVLA procedures.’ 

In Britain people over the age of 70 have to renew their driving licence every three years.

But there is no driving test or medical examination, and it is down to drivers to declare whether or not they are fit to drive and if their eyesight is still good enough.

Road safety charity Brake has called for a vision test to be required at least every 10 years when drivers renew their licence photocard. 

Critics say this system piles the pressure on relatives to convince loved-ones to hand back their keys or go to the DVLA themselves.

Prince Philip is notoriously impatient and does not take kindly to being told what he can and cannot do.

But some commentators speculated that the World War II naval officer might now accept it is time to give up the wheel – as he did with flying in 1997.

Royal biographer Penny Junor told Sky News: ‘It was a horrible thing to happen, but should he be driving?

‘I have no idea who the fault lay with – but he is 97 years old and maybe his reactions are not as fast as they once were.’

Royal biographer Hugo Vickers told BBC News: ‘Any kind of car accident at the age of 97 is likely to produce shock.

‘Some years ago he gave up flying planes long before he needed to because he was scared that if something happened there would be a lot of criticism.

‘So he does listen to these things – he’s very, very sensible.

‘If anyone’s involved in a car accident, it’s quite a frightening thing. If he thought that he’d lost concentration or something or he hadn’t seen somebody he would realise he’s not up to it anymore.’

The Prince gave up polo at the age of 50 – but switched to another equestrian sport, carriage driving, which he still enjoys.

And he also gave up flying planes when he accepted that a crash in later life would lead to a great deal of criticism.

Nick Freeman, the lawyer dubbed Mr Loophole, said the duke could be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention if he was deemed to have made a mistake.

But he added: ‘If the sun was so low and right in your eyes, sometimes it’s impossible to see, and that may well have been the case and that would afford him a defence.’

The duke, who retired from public duties in 2017 but remains active, could also avoid prosecution by surrendering his licence, according to the lawyer known for representing celebrity clients like David Beckham.

When Prince Philip drove the Queen, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle to Windsor Castle three years ago the then US President said: ‘I can report that it was very smooth riding’.

Armed police arrived as Philip's new vehicle was checked over and then waved into the Queen's Norfolk estate to replace the old one

Armed police arrived as Philip’s new vehicle was checked over and then waved into the Queen’s Norfolk estate to replace the old one

Norfolk Police told MailOnline they are treating the crash like any other incident and sent officers to the scene today

Norfolk Police told MailOnline they are treating the crash like any other incident and sent officers to the scene today

How could Prince Philip be punished by police?

Experts have said if the Duke is at fault the most likely offence he has committed is driving without due care and attention – also referred to as careless driving. 

It is defined in law as ‘allowing the standard of driving to fall below that of a competent and careful driver’.

Aggravating factors include: 

  • Excessive speed or aggressive driving
  • Carrying out other tasks while driving
  • A lack of concentration causing the crash
  • Tiredness or driving whilst unwell
  • Driving contrary to medical advice

The punishment may include an unlimited fine, points on your licence or disqualification from driving.

Edmund King, president of The AA motoring association, said new drivers were more prone to accidents.

‘If driving restrictions based on age and safety were introduced, we would be more likely to restrict young drivers rather than older drivers,’ he said.

‘Older drivers often self-restrict their driving by not driving at night and only driving on familiar roads.

‘The decision to hang up your keys is a tough one but should be based on personal advice from your GP (family doctor) and family, rather than being based on some arbitrary age.’

After his crash many took to social media to suggest that Philip should be forced to give up.

Nick Lloyd, acting head of road safety for RoSPA, who used to have Prince Philip as its chairman, said: ‘In the wake of the incident, we have inevitably heard calls for mandatory testing of people of a certain age.

‘This is a red herring – age is a completely arbitrary and unreliable measure for assessing someone’s ability to drive. Statistically, older drivers have fewer accidents than other age groups’. 

Can Prince Philip be forced to give up driving? 70-plus motorists renew their licence every three years – but there is no mandatory testing

What are the rules around older drivers?

When motorists reach the age of 70 in Britain they are required to renew their licence, and must do so every three years thereafter.

There is no driving test or medical examination, and it is down to drivers to declare whether or not they are fit to drive.

Applicants are urged to check with their doctor before applying and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) may make further investigations based on the declaration made.

What about eyesight?

The only mandatory examination of vision takes place during the practical test, when learners must read a number plate from 20 metres.

Once someone has obtained their licence, it is up to them to tell the DVLA if they have a problem with their eyesight.

Road safety charity Brake has called for a vision test to be required at least every 10 years when drivers renew their licence photocard.

Is the duke known to be a keen motorist?

Philip is no stranger to the driving seat, and has previously been seen with very famous passengers in a Range Rover.

He showed former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle the personal touch when he drove them and the Queen to Windsor Castle after the presidential helicopter Marine One had landed close to the monarch’s Berkshire home during their visit to the UK in April 2016.

The gesture was akin to picking up guests from the airport, although the journey only lasted a few minutes. Mr Obama looked delighted when he discovered Philip would be driving them.

As the Queen and Mrs Obama sat in the rear seats, the duke looked composed at the wheel of the Range Rover as it made its way around the castle’s quadrangle and stopped outside the sovereign’s entrance. 

Are there many people over the age of 90 who still have a driving licence?

Figures from the DVLA in November showed 110,790 people aged 90 or over still held driving licences.

There were 314 licence holders aged at least 100. The oldest were four people who were 107.

– What did the police do after the duke’s accident?

As is force policy, officers from Norfolk Police carried out roadside breath tests on the drivers of both vehicles, which proved negative.

They are now investigating the circumstances.

What advice is there for older people who do give up their driving licence?

Age UK said such a decision can be difficult but that stopping driving does not have to mean the end of independence or mobility.

The charity said on its website: ‘If you’ve decided to stop driving, or been advised to by the DVLA, there are many ways you can get around and there may be help with transport costs.

‘You may feel worried about the costs of giving up driving and having to pay for public transport, but if you add up the amount you spend on car tax, insurance, fuel and maintenance you may find that using alternatives work out to be less expensive than running a car.

‘Most people find adjusting to life without a car is difficult at first. If you’re finding life without a car tough and causing you to feel down, talk to a family member, friend or your GP.’

 

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