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Older drivers above the age of 70 are at risk of being slapped with a £1,000 bill due to a simple DVLA rule that motorists may be overlooking. Elderly motorists must renew their driving licence when they reach 70 years of age and every three years thereafter to legally stay on the roads.

The DVLA will usually send older drivers a D46P application form around 90 days before they reach their seventh decade. However, motorists who ignore the form and fail to renew their photocard will technically be driving without a valid licence.

Data from ScrapCarComparison shows that over one in four (27%) of motorists aged 70 years or older are leaving it four years or longer to renew their driving licence.

Based on Department for Transport (DfT) data that there are around 5.8 million drivers aged 70 years or older on the roads, at least 1.5 million over 70s could be travelling illegally.

ScrapCarComparison explained: "When broken down by different age brackets, our analysis found that a significant 52% of those aged 70 - 80 years old are (illegally) renewing their driving license every four years or more, while 48% of drivers aged 81 years or older are doing the same.

"Almost 1 in 10 (8%) of mature drivers do not renew their license at all after turning 70 - again leaving older motorists in the UK vulnerable to huge fines if caught."

Motorists caught with an out-of-date driving licence are likely to be slapped with a hefty £1,000 fine. Failing to renew a licence could also lead to car insurance policies becoming invalid ,which could be a serious blow in the event of an accident.

Motorists can renew their driving licence online through the GOV UK website in just a matter of minutes. Most importantly, road users will usually be able to continue driving while their application is processed.

Experts at BigWantsYourCar stressed that it was a simple "DVLA oversight could leave motorists vulnerable".

They said: "A valid driving licence is a legal requirement, and driving without one leaves motorists exposed to fines and even invalidates their insurance.

"Remember that renewing a licence is about more than just staying compliant - it's about protecting yourself financially and legally on the road."