Petition updateIntroduce compulsory age-appropriate retesting every 3 years once a driver turns 70Progress from Parliament and an appearance on This Morning

Benjamin Brooks-DuttonLONDON, ENG, United Kingdom
Mar 31, 2017
Hi there,
In November 2015, I launched an online petition through Change.org calling for the introduction of compulsory age-appropriate retesting every three years once a driver turns 70. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, the petition generated much debate through widespread broadcast, print and online media coverage and went on to receive over 200,000 UK signatures.
Knowing that media attention and signatures alone wouldn’t drive change, I approached the then Secretary of State for Transport for support through the petition and appeared on the Daily Politics show to address MPs directly. On air both two MPs offered their support in taking the petition to the right people at Westminster, but subsequently retracted stating that I would need to raise the issue with my local MP, Harriet Harman (you might be surprised to know that this is the only way you can really get an audience with the Commons).
It took quite some time for me to get there, but three weeks ago I went to Westminster to meet with a member of her team, and then I later week I received a message of support from Mrs Harman herself. She has committed to liaising with the All-Part Parliamentary Group on Transport Safety about this issue, after which time she will be back in touch. You can read much more about this on my blog, Life as a Widower.
Later today I will be speaking about this issue on ITV's This Morning alongside a man who was badly injured by an older drivers.
Sorry it has taken so long to update on any real progress, but hopefully we are getting somewhere.
Thanks,
Ben
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