Meet Scotland's oldest advanced driver THE founder of one of Scotland's leading car dealerships has astounded critics of elderly motorists by passing Britain's supreme test of driving skills at the grand old age of 95. Earlier this week a survey by the Auto Trader Group showed that three in five motorists believe older drivers should be forced to retake the standard driving test when they reach 66 and be subject to medical tests such as regular sight and co-ordination checks. But it was revealed today that Norman Lawrence, the North east businessman who founded the Lawrence of Kemnay motor dealership in 1953, had defied the doubters by passing the Institute of Advanced Motorist's (IAM) advanced driving test in his 96th year. And he achieved the coveted qualification from the Institute in a far shorter time than most candidates. Mr Lawrence, a World War II veteran who served with the Royal Artillery at the Battle of El Alamein, has been driving for more than 70 years. He explained that he had signed up with the Gordon branch of the IAM after listening to a radio phone-in, which proposed motorists should relinquish their licences when they reached 90. He said: "I think they looked at me at that first meeting and thought "You must be joking," but I assured them I wasn't. I went out with some advanced drivers and a policeman took me out for some circuits, and now I've passed my test. The grandfather stressed he had no intention of hanging up the keys to his Ford Mondeo any time soon - whatever the survey showed. "I'm out in the car every day - golfing twice a week, bowls in the winter and I take a crowd of OAPs out every Sunday for a run and some lunch," said Mr Better driver now Lawrence. And he claimed: "I'm a better driver now than I was as a young man. You settle down as you get older and you don't take the same risks. Not that I get in other folks" road, though. You won't find me holding anybody up. John Buchan, secretary of the IAM's Gordon group, praised Mr Lawrence's achievement. He said: "He joined the group after all the other people had already started but, Norman being Norman, he made sure he went out with other advanced drivers and even a police instructor and passed in no time at all." Mr Buchan continued: "He's definitely our oldest advanced driver. People say there was once a 100-year-old who passed in England, but if that's true it was a long time ago, so Norman is almost certainly the oldest around. The examiner said he was an excellent driver. He's confident, observant, his reactions are very good and there's no hanging about below the speed limit. He's a great advert for older drivers. Currently there is no upper age limit for drivers in Britain. A UK driving license has to be renewed at age 70, and the DVLA has to be informed of any changes in health including eyesight and hearing. With Britain's population ageing rapidly the number of licence holders over the age of 70 has rocketed by 72 per cent in the past ten years. Peter Rodger, chief examiner at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: "It is important to recognise that older drivers are under-represented in statistics, meaning they are involved in fewer crashes that result in injury than the average. There are plenty of options for older drivers who may be worried about whether they are safe on the road including an objective assessment of their driving skills and driving refresher courses.