A third of us think that driving standards in Britain are bad or very bad, another third think they’re only average. However, three-quarters of people surveyed say they believe their own driving standard is good or excellent. Nationally, only 1 per cent of drivers admit they shouldn’t really be behind the wheel. I wonder what that figure is for older Island drivers. How many people do you know who won’t drive at night, or venture on to the mainland any more?

Recently, I was driving through Shalfleet behind an older driver in an early 1990s Nissan Micra. She couldn’t maintain a steady speed or stay in her lane. At some roadworks, she slowed to under 20 mph and swerved dramatically around the temporary fencing. Her driving was so erratic I wondered if she’d been drinking. She then drove between 19 and 36 mph all the way to Yarmouth, where the limit is 30. Oddly, at that point her speed rose to 40. Approaching the final pedestrian refuge, just before turning right into town, she braked hard and swerved left to avoid it. Alarmed, your ever-reliable PC Holmsey followed her and found the car abandoned in the middle of the road near the ferry terminal. I spotted a Wightlink staff member and asked him if he’d seen anyone? He pointed to the elderly driver, who I approached and, summoning up every bit of kindness I could muster, I asked if she was OK. I told her that her driving had frightened me to death, and I couldn’t believe she’d made it in one piece. To my astonishment, she replied, “Yes, I know, it’s terrible, isn’t it?” Had I really been a police officer, I like to think I could have done something to prevent her from continuing to drive without taking another test.

To be honest, as I’ve got older, I’m aware that my own standard of driving is not what it used to be. I passed my test on my 17th birthday – 48 years ago. I had already driven before the magical date and passed the moped test. Later, came a full motorcycle licence, some advanced driving qualifications, and training as a driving instructor. A week after my 21st birthday, I passed an HGV Class One licence and spent years trucking across Europe. This isn’t a boast; I only mention it because I know I’d struggle to do it now. I believe I was a great driver once, possibly exceptional. But a decade ago, when my kids did the hazard perception test, I struggled. I saw hazards that the Driving Standards Agency didn’t intend to be there. I may have been correct, but I wouldn’t have passed that part one test easily. In my day, there was no written test; needless to say, older drivers now think they’re a great idea.

When it comes to driving, most of us tell porkies. Few people admit to drink driving, but astonishingly, a couple of million people say they have been in a car when the driver was over the limit. Island court reports often reveal drivers with drugs in their system too. Occasionally, while sitting in traffic, I’ve caught a strong whiff of cannabis and I’ve been behind vans and cars where the driver ahead is clearly having a spliff before work. Statistically, only 35 per cent of women say they’ve had an accident, while 53 per cent of men say they’ve crashed. Even if you need your independence, if you’re getting on a bit, why not ask your son or daughter to check out your current driving standard? It could save your life, or someone else’s.