TELEVISION broadcasters are backing a campaign aimed at keeping older drivers on the road safely for longer.

Older motorists in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are being invited to follow in the footsteps of TV broadcasters Jennie Bond and John Sergeant by attending any of the ‘one-stop shop’ awareness events organised by the Older Drivers Forum across Hampshire next week.

From next Monday, September 26 until Friday September 30, the Older Drivers’ Forum will be hosting events focusing on giving advice and information to mature motorists and their interested friends and family.

It is free to attend, no appointment is necessary and visitors can call in any time between 9.30am and 3pm.

Sergeant Rob Heard, the chair of the forum says: “The Older Drivers’ Forum is about keeping drivers aged 55 + on the road safely for longer, will with a stronger focus on those 70 and over.

“We give advice not only for older drivers, but also for friends, families and GP’s.

“At the event you will find advice on brushing up your skills, booking a driving assessment, getting advice on health and wellbeing issues, renewing your licence and much more.”

“We have had many visitors to our events over the years and all have found them extremely helpful on keeping them safe and mobile.

“In December last year we even featured on the BBC One Show and gave advice and support to Jenny Bond and John Sergeant on keeping safe on the roads.”

The roadshow events will be taking place Monday at the Chantry Centre Andover, The Chantry Centre; Tuesday at St Andrews Centre, Beaulieu Road in Dibden Purlieu; Wednesday at The Cascades Shopping centre in Portsmouth; Thursday at The Haskins Garden centre in West End, Southampton, and on Friday at St Thomas’s Square and Newport Minster on the Isle of Wight.

As of January 2016 there are just over 4.5 million people holding a driving licence who are aged 70 and above and this will double in the next 20 years.

Drivers aged 70 are no more likely to be the cause of a crash than any other drivers.

“But once over 70, we may be more likely to be at fault, particularly where right-of-way violations are involved.

"We may also start to suffer from aged related frailty and our mental and physical abilities may reduce.

"The work of the Forum has been internationally recognised and the Forum even assisted in the writing a National Strategy for Older Drivers for the government, titled ‘Supporting Safe Driving into Old Age’.

The Forum is made up of experts in road – from representatives from the emergency services, to charities, local authorities and businesses specialising in keeping older people on the road.