Older drivers don't get fines

According to a recent survey, oldies are the most law-abiding motorists in Australia with almost 90 per cent recording no traffic infringements over the past 12 months. By comparison, only 77 per cent of motorists aged 18-24 had a fine-free year.

The results, from insurance group Apia, shows older drivers are te best to have as motor vehicle insurance customers and one of the main reasons why most insurers charge them less in premiums. But if you're an older driver, don't get too smug just yet.

The survey of over 3700 Australians found that of those aged over 50 who admitted they had a blemished record, speeding was the most common infringement. This was followed by running a red light or stop sign, and careless driving. Nationally, Victorians fared the worst. Drivers in Victoria admitted to having the most number of infringements (18 per cent) with Queenslanders admitting to the least (5 per cent).

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The research also found that older d rivers are twice as patient on the roads as their younger counterparts - 27 per cent of drivers under 50 admit to being impatient on the roads compared to just 10 per cent of older drivers. But that was diminished by reports that an alarming 21 per cent of drivers over 50 believe going less than 10km/h over the speed limit is "not really speeding".

Apia's executive manager Grant Taylor said that: "With age comes wisdom - it's what we like to think and Apia's research bears that out. Over 50s drivers usually have a lot of experience on the road built up over many years, so it's no wonder they are less likely to risk it all for the sake of saving a few minutes," he said.

"But there is no such thing as a safe infringement, particularly when it comes to speeding. Whether you are doing 5km/h or 50km/h above the speed limit, you are endangering the lives of your passengers, pedestrians and other road users, not to mention yourself. As an insurer, we see the results of speeding acc idents, and it is not something you would ever wish upon anyone."

Mr Taylor said the fact that over 50s are the least likely to have some sort of traffic infringement is testament to their relative levels of safe driving on the road.

"Obviously not everyone is perfect, but certainly by 50 most people have learnt some pretty important life-lessons."

Australian drivers over 50 admitting to having a traffic infringement over the last 12 months (rounded to the nearest whole number):

National average