Report older drivers who are potentially dangerous, prompts French prefect

A prefecture in south-west France is asking residents to report elderly drivers - or others - that they believe are potentially unfit to be behind the wheel following a rise in road accidents in the area. 

Figures show that whilst vehicle accidents overall fell by 12% in Dordogne in 2024, the number of fatalities from them increased by 19% with 37 people killed.

Around a third of those who died were aged 65 or above, the prefecture states, leading to an increased wariness over drivers in the department. 

“Unfortunately, we know that as we age, we lose our cognitive reflexes,” said Dordogne prefect Marie Aubert. 

“We're an ageing department, a very large one, with a network of secondary roads that are quite accident-prone. We have a lot of isolated houses in the countryside, often with older people for whom the car is a fairly essential means of transport,” she added (quoted in local media FranceBleu).

How do you report a driver? 

The prefect has therefore asked residents of the department who feel an elderly person they know is unfit to drive to take action. 

They can do so by contacting the departmental prefecture either by post or email, providing evidence of why the person may no longer be fit to drive such as a medical condition or medication they need to take. 

The letter should include as much detail as possible about the person’s ability to drive, as well as both your address and that of the person you are reporting.

If the department deems the request valid, officials will demand the driver has a medical appointment to assess their ability to drive, and based on the recommendation of the doctor may choose to suspend the person’s licence. 

“Everyone, every family, needs to ask themselves whether their loved ones are still able to drive safely,” said the Dordogne prefecture.

“It's obviously difficult, but I think it's also a responsibility… to make these reports. If that means going out once a week to help [an elderly person] with their shopping rather than letting them do it themselves [and putting multiple people] in danger, then let's do it,” she added. 

Drivers anywhere can be reported 

Whilst it is currently the Dordogne prefecture specifically calling for action, this is possible in all departments. It is not exclusively elderly residents that you can report but those who may be at a risk to others when driving. 

The letter can be sent based on a person’s “ability to drive in the light of their medical conditions, their state of fatigue and vigilance, their ability to move around, and whether they are taking medication or psychoactive substances,” says a 2022 decree on the matter.

You can find the contact information for your departmental prefecture online through an internet search. 

Read more: MAP: Where did most fatal road crashes happen in France in 2024?

No medical test for licence renewal 

France remains one of the few European countries where medical tests or check-ups are not required for elderly drivers to keep their licences.

It constitutes a fierce debate in the country – often brought to the fore after an accident involving an elderly driver – but current rules do not seem likely to change. 

A toughening of European driving laws began in 2024, however the specific proposal to regulate medical checks for drivers across the bloc was rejected. 

Read more: EU parliament votes against mandatory medical visits for drivers

Member states have been urged to introduce regulations to improve road safety in this area, but are not obligated to bring in medical checks or other reviews. 

Read more: Older drivers do not need aptitude tests in France