Driving symbolizes autonomy, but the inexorable passage of time poses an uncomfortable question: is there an age to stop driving?
While some point to mental state, life experience, or the legal framework as key factors, the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) in Spain offers an answer based on data, not prohibitions.
Contrary to what many think, there is no maximum legal age for driving in Spain.
Regulations focus on aptitude, not years. A nonagenarian driver in full faculties can renew their license. However, the DGT establishes an inflection point at age 65, from which controls intensify.
The critical age: between 65 and 70 years old
Although it is not a written rule, the DGT, backed by medical studies and accident statistics, points to the range between 65 and 70 years as the key period where the essential psychophysical capacities for driving (vision, reflexes, reaction capacity, endurance) can begin to deteriorate significantly. Internal sources even specify that the risk increases between 68 and 70 years.
The control mechanism: more frequent renewals
The main tool is the driving license renewal schedule:

Up to 65 years: It is renewed every 10 years.

From 65 to 70 years: The period shortens. It must be renewed every 5 years.

From 70 years onwards: Renewal is mandatory every 5 years, undergoing more exhaustive medical check-ups that evaluate vision, coordination, the locomotor system, and possible illnesses.
The voice of the experts: beyond chronological age
Specialists agree that the key is not a number, but the individual condition.
The Ponle Freno-AXA Road Safety Studies Center emphasizes that age-associated pathologies (cataracts, cardiovascular problems, arthritis) impact driving ability more than the years themselves.
Geriatricians and psychologists emphasize the importance of “self-awareness”: recognizing symptoms such as increased visual fatigue at night, loss of confidence when parking, or slower reactions to unforeseen events.
A responsible decision
The DGT does not force people to hang up their keys at a specific age, but urges conscious and responsible driving. The implicit recommendation is that, upon entering the seventh decade, each driver performs a sincere and periodic assessment of their capabilities, preferably with medical advice.
The debate, therefore, transcends the law. It lies in the realm of one’s own and others’ safety, and in the ability to adapt to a new stage of mobility, where public transport, taxi services, or family help can be alternatives that preserve independence without compromising life on the road. The final goal, as the DGT reminds us, is not to take away freedoms, but to save lives.