Elderly Driver’s Death Linked to Pedal Confusion, Inquest Finds

An inquest has concluded that a 90-year-old woman, who continued driving despite family concerns, died in a road accident after mistakenly pressing the accelerator instead of the brake pedal. Dorothy Nias, from Cornwall, passed away in November 2023, having sustained multiple injuries in a crash that occurred in Devoran the previous June, as reported at the Truro hearing. Emma Hillson, the assistant coroner for Cornwall, noted that Ms. Nias “had a number of minor incidents prior to this collision.” Ms. Hillson also stated that she had submitted a prevention of future deaths report to the transport minister, a document issued when a coroner believes action is required to safeguard lives. The inquest revealed that Ms. Nias was driving an automatic car, which she had owned for six years, downhill on an A39 dual carriageway. As she approached a roundabout on a road with a 50mph (80km/h) speed limit, she entered the outer lane before mounting the roundabout and colliding with a lamppost. The hearing was informed that the day was dry, no other vehicles were involved, and her car had no defects. The coroner commented: “It was clear from the evidence that there were concerns raised by family members to Ms Nias regarding her ability to continue to drive having had a number of minor incidents prior to this collision.” Ms. Hillson explained that Ms. Nias had been encouraged to use alternative transportation but, being independent, chose to continue driving. The coroner reported that the Devon and Cornwall Police area experienced 221 fatal collisions, 3,145 serious collisions, and 15,868 slight injury casualties between 2019 and 2023. Ms. Hillson stated that a person aged 70 or over was a contributory factor in 28 fatal collisions, 310 serious incidents, and 1,058 minor incidents. She further added that 14 of the deaths involved individuals aged 70 or over, as did 132 of the 310 serious injuries and 604 of the slight injuries. Ms. Hillson has written to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Secretary of State for Transport, requesting measures to prevent future deaths and seeking a response within 56 days regarding any proposed actions. She wrote: “At present there is no upper age limit for drivers. “Drivers over 70 are required to apply for a new licence every three years and there is no requirement for there to be any form of medical check or assessment to confirm fitness to drive.”The applicant must make a self-declaration.”