In Europe, the percentage of licensed drivers in the group of drivers between the age of 65 and 74 years varies from 71 to 93% for men and from 7 to 46% for women. These groups of drivers represent the older drivers of tomorrow, those aged 75 years and above. Current licence rates for those aged 75 year old and above are considerably lower. For example, data from the 1998 travel survey of the Netherlands show that 81% of men and 42% of women aged between 65 and 74 years had a driving licence, whereas these rates are 61% and 18% respectively for those aged 75 years and above. Especially license rates for women have increased. Translating the licence rates for even younger age groups to the future, and combining them with population data will provide estimates of the percentage of drivers aged 65 years and above in 2030. These figures show that in 2030, a quarter of all drivers will be aged 65 and above:
| Country | Percentage of total number of licensed drivers aged 65+ in 2000 | Percentage of total number of licensed drivers aged 65+ in 2030 | Percentage increase in licensed drivers aged 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 14.9% | 26.7% | 79% |
| France | 16.1% | 25.8% | 60% |
| Netherlands | 13.7% | 26.5% | 93% |
| Norway | 15.3% | 23.5% | 53% |
| Spain | 16.8% | 26.1% | 55% |
| Sweden | 17.2% | 24.1% | 40% |
| United Kingdom | 15.7% | 23.5% | 49% |
Source: OECD, 2001