According to the Institute of Advanced motorists, the number of drivers on UK roads over the age of 80 has topped one million for the first time.

The group obtained the data from the UK's DVLA. The licence-issuing authority's files show that 1,012,399 drivers were aged over 80 on 31 January, of which 122 were over the age of 100. There are now three 105 year-olds out and about on Britain's roads, and one woman who is 106.

One of the IAM's more interesting findings is that the rate of deaths and serious injuries in crashes among drivers over 80 is three times lower than the rate for those aged 17-19.

The UK is one of the few European countries with a rising population but when it comes to the average age of its citizens, it remains in sync with other EU nations: the Office of National Statistics predicts that there will be 8.7 million people over the age of 75 living in these islands by 2033. This will represent an 81.1 percent surge in the number of over 75 year-olds since 2008 - some 4.8 million people.