Driver aged 102 to star in forthcoming GEM Safer Driving Update webinar

Thursday, 12 September 2024, 10:26

· 102-year-old John Gill first drove a car in 1936

· He was never required to display L-plates or take a driving test

· Safer Driving Update to be presented by Valerie Singleton OBE

· Date is Tuesday 24 September 2024 at 2pm · It’s free to attend. Places can be booked HERE.

John Gill, from Ponteland in Northumberland, agreed to be filmed at the wheel of his Vauxhall Meriva for a journey along part of Hadrian’s Wall. As part of the pre-recorded road trip, he was also interviewed about the secrets of his unblemished and incident-free driving career spanning almost nine decades.

“I'm a teetotaller to start with,” he told GEM in a recent interview. “I've always been a bit young for my age, even at school, and I seem to have the body of an 80-year-old, so I'm hoping that I can renew my licence at 103.

“A safe journey comes from concentration, obviously. Mainly the question of observing traffic, not just the car in front, but several cars ahead. I have noticed that even my own children don't always do what I would do. I think I'm a more cautious driver than they are. I leave plenty of space between myself and the vehicle ahead.”

GEM’s Safer Driving Update webinar, presented in partnership with the Older Drivers Forum and hosted by Valerie Singleton OBE, will include useful information on eyesight issues, a brand new ‘black box’ pay-per-mile insurance opportunity for older drivers, developments in older driver assessments and advice on how to broach the topic of safety with an older driver who be at risk without knowing it.

A special section of the webinar will be devoted to the road safety benefits of installing a dashcam, as well as an explanation of how to share video evidence with the police.

The event takes place on Tuesday 24 September at 2pm, and is designed to provide a wealth of useful information for drivers.

Webinar presenter Valerie Singleton OBE wasn’t even born when John Gill first drove a car. She is pleased to continue her long and successful relationship with GEM, and remains a regular contributor to GEM’s quarterly membership magazine, Good Motoring. This will be the third of four webinars to be offered in partnership with the Older Driver Forum in 2024.

Other contributors are:

· Rob Heard from the Older Drivers Forum

· Bryn Brooker from Nextbase Dashcams

· Richard King from Ticker Insurance

· Nigel Lloyd Jones from the Gloucestershire Older Driver Forum

On the webinar agenda will be:

· Driver eyesight – stay safe and legal

· How a dashcam can improve safety and save lives

· Check your car before winter

· Worried about someone’s driving?

· Car insurance – how a ‘black box’ could save you money

GEM welcomes any senior drivers, their relatives and others with an interest in the subject to join the webinar, which is free to attend.