Parents of Edinburgh toddler killed by elderly driver call for licence law change

The Department of Transport already has an ongoing review in to the licensing of any driver with a medical condition.

There is no legal age to stop driving in the UK and Mrs Duncan had renewed her driving licence earlier in the year.

Drivers over the age of 70 must apply for a new licence every three years and must declare to the DVLA if they feel they have any cognitive impairment.

Drivers found to have violated this rule can be fined up to £1,000 and could face prosecution.

Mrs Duncan had cancelled her car insurance earlier in the year as she “did not use her car enough”.

She had also been parked illegally on a pelican crossing prior to performing the U-turn manoeuvre which led to the crash.

In a police interview previously played to the inquiry, she told officers her “foot must have slipped on the accelerator” before she struck Xander and his mother and crashed into the window of a charity shop.

Mrs Duncan said she was “so, so sorry” after the crash.

She was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and driving without insurance, but died in May 2021 – months before she was due to stand trial.

The inquiry heard Mrs Duncan had an earlier accident when she revered into another vehicle in a supermarket car park in September 2019.

That incident was never disclosed to her GP.

Experts believe Mrs Duncan, who had no family, may have exhibited signs of Alzheimer’s disease since May 2019.

A forensic psychologist who assessed her in April 2021 said she had been “articulate and sharp,” but “performed poorly” in cognitive testing.