A DRIVING instructor captured the moment his car was hit by an 84-year-old motorist.
The dash cam shows the pensioner’s vehicle hit with such force that it ended up on two wheels at a 45-degree angle and was lucky not to tip over.
The incident, in Newport, South Wales, which left the instructor and learner shaken but unhurt, will increase concern about elderly motorists and safety.
According to the DVLA, around 100,000 drivers in the country are aged over 90.
At the start of the clip, filmed on Friday, the tutor and his pupil are seen parked on the righthand side of the road and discussing the lesson.
The small silver Daihatsu hatchback can been seen driving towards them in the distance whilst passing other parked cars.
As the car drives closer, the instructor can be heard in the car saying: “Oh they’re really close to that parked car.”
The small silver car narrowly misses the other cars while the instructor and his pupil – who has been on a number of lessons – brace themselves for the impact. The instructor can be heard groaning at the impending calamity while his female pupil shrieks.
The OAP’s vehicle collides with the front-left of the instructor’s car. The driver side rear wheel of the pensioner’s car is glimpsed in mid air during the video.
Letting out a sigh, the instructor can be heard opening his door and reminding teh learner to put her “handbrake on.”
Speaking about the jaw-dropping clip, the driving tutor said: “I think the driver just misjudged the distance. I was sitting in the passenger seat, the learner has had quite a few lessons. We could see it was going to happen.
“It’s left quite a bit of damage and I’m waiting to hear if the car is a write-off.”
Posting the clip online, the shaken instructor wrote: “We were in a perfect position, on a wide road and plenty of visibility.
“We were like sitting ducks waiting for the collision. Poor old lady (84), almost hit two cars before smashing into mine. Notice on the video, on contact, she went 45 degrees on two wheels. Luckily she landed upright, and thankfully, no one hurt.”
One viewer of the clip wrote: “Luckily no one was hurt, whichever way you were facing she was on a collision course”
Another wrote: “Glad you’re all ok. Looks like the old dear was going too fast for the road. Also, if she is 84 should she still be on the road driving like that.”
Whilst one other added: “Glad you are ok. Doesn’t matter which way you were facing that car was going to hit you. This has nothing to do with pulling up on the right.
“This is an example of just plain bad driving. At her age I would be questioning her ability to still be driving.”
More than 60% of 70 year-olds hold a licence, whilst forty years ago just 15% did.
Earlier this month 90-year-old Phillip Bull was spared jail after pleading guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving but received a two-year suspended sentence.
He had been dropping off his wife at the Withington Community Hospital in Manchester when he accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake while reversing and collided with 44 year-old Clare Haslam and 49 year-old Deborah Clifton – killing them both.
However, over-60s are involved in a quarter of the number of incidents those in their 20s are but a study of 2,000 accidents showed that when older drivers are involved, they will more likely be fully to blame.
Gwent Police said today they had no record of the incident being reported.
