Widower starts petition after wife killed by pensioner who mistook brake for accelerator

A man, whose wife was killed when a pensioner mistook the accelerator pedal in his car for the break, wants people over 70 to be re-tested if they want to keep their driving licences.
Mr. Brooks-Dutton's late wife Desreen with the couple's son, Jackson.Mr. Brooks-Dutton's late wife Desreen with the couple's son, Jackson.
Mr. Brooks-Dutton's late wife Desreen with the couple's son, Jackson.

Benjamin Brooks-Dutton’s wife, Desreen, was killed on November 10, 2012 when an 85 year-old man mounted the pavement and struck Mrs. Brooks-Dutton with his car.

“The judge who sentenced the 85-year-old driver who killed my wife said; ‘An elderly driver who knows, or should acknowledge, that he or she is losing his or her faculties is no less a danger than a drunken driver who knows the same.’

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“I agree, that’s why I’ve started this petition calling for people over 70 to undergo compulsory retesting to keep their driving licence,” said Mr. Brooks-Dutton.

“Right now when drivers turn 70 they can renew their licence every three years by filling in a self assessment form. No one assesses an older person’s driving skills or reactions, no one checks their eyesight or hearing, no one sees if their reactions are still sharp enough to stop in an emergency,” he added.

More than 245,000 people have added their signatures to the petition which is addressed to the Transport Minister, Chris Grayling MP.