'I passed my advanced driving test aged 72'

A man who recently passed his advanced driving test at the age of 72 said it had made him a "better driver".

Paul Kalinauckas, from Wellington, Shropshire, decided to take a few lessons to make sure he was still up to scratch behind the wheel after he turned 70 and had to renew his expired driving licence.

Under current rules from the government, drivers aged over 70 in the UK must renew their driving licence and update their photograph every three years.

Speaking to BBC Radio Shropshire, he said: "It's over 50 years since I did my driving test, a long time ago... I thought, 'I'm going to prove I'm a good driver', [which is] one of the reasons that I did it."

An advanced drivers test, which is voluntary and not required for licence renewal, is aimed at people of any age who have already passed their standard driving test and want to further develop their driving skills.

Kalinauckas, who took his qualification with road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, described how he had about five or six sessions with an observer who assessed his driving and provided feedback ahead of the test.

He said he learned a lot in a short space of time and "really enjoyed it".

"What surprised me was how... friendly it was. They're not testing you when you're doing your observed driver sessions, they're pointing out things you can improve, normally little amendments," he explained.

"I always regarded myself as a fairly good driver. How wrong I was."

During his sessions, he said he had to make a few improvements, such as adjusting his positioning in the road and ensuring he did not drive too close to the car in front.

"It makes you more focused, which is what we want older drivers to [be]," he added.

Kalinauckas encouraged other motorists who wanted to improve their driving skills to look into taking the test.

"I know I'm a better driver [as] my wife's stopped screaming," he said.

"I've never had a major accident, so I'm very fortunate, but I feel safer now."

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