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Four veteran drivers with more than 220 years behind the wheel talk about motor insurance, road behaviour and driving passionOne often hears that Singapore's population is ageing, with the cohort of baby boomers now forming an ever-growing silver-haired brigade.mini storageThe changing profile of drivers here is stark evidence of this trend. For instance, the number of driving licence holders older than 65 has doubled from 118,237 in 2006 to 234,371 at the end of September this year, according to Traffic Police statistics.If the trend continues, this group could hit 500,000 by 2020.The 106-year-old Automobile Association of Singapore has 6,300 members who are 70 or older.One of them is retired accountant Tan See Peng, 84, who has been driving since 1955.In his younger days, he used to make regular road trips across the Causeway, often to visit his hometown, Batu Pahat.These days, he is the family chauffeur. "My grandchildren will say, 'Take me here and there'," he says."The drives are not very long, except when I send my grandson back to his NS camp every Monday morning. It's 28km each way."Maybe I should bill the Treasury," he chuckles.He says he still enjoys driving but avoids the expressways "because people will overtake you on the right and left".In his 58 years of driving, he says he has never had a serious accident. Yet he finds it increasingly difficult to get insurance coverage."The Government must pass a law... to make basic coverage available to everyone," he says.Another old-timer says the same. Mr Joseph Saverias, 75, has been taking part in motorsports and driving events since clinching his licence on the first attempt in 1955.Even now, he takes his Ferrari 348 onto the race track in Sepang, near Kuala Lumpur."At my age, I can still drive my Ferrari and join younger drivers on long drives," he says. "Yet the insurance companies think I am old and could be dangerous on the road."He says he enjoys driving, although in Singapore, drivers are "not generous". "In Europe and Australia, drivers are patient, allow you to cut in."They don't race you or give you dirty looks as you filter in even though you have put on your indicator."Retiree Tan Pof-Eng, 75, concurs. He got his driving licence in England in 1955 when he was studying there.Since then, he has lived and driven in many countries, including the Middle East, Europe, Britain, Australia and Papua New Guinea, as he worked on construction projects in t迷你倉ese places."The most pleasant place to drive would be Australia," he recalls. "It's very orderly driving, and you get that sense of freedom of an open country."Singapore is the worst place to drive - people don't keep to their lane, change lane erratically, signal right but turn left."He says he has never had an accident or made any insurance claim.These days, he alternates between a Mercedes- Benz 280S and a Volkswagen Golf "to go to the hawker centre, to shops"."I don't drive as much as I used to," he adds.Quite unlike businessman Larry Lim, who still takes part in vintage and off-road driving events today. His first was in April 1969, when he and his wife, Daisy, 70, took part in the United Nations' first Asian Highway Rally from Vientiane in Laos to Singapore."That was when we were bitten by the driving bug," says the strapping 72-year-old who got his driving and riding licences in 1963.Since then, they have done long road trips in several countries, including Africa, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Australia, and won many rallies.The most memorable ones were a 2006 drive from Dalian in China to the Russian border, enroute to Inner Mongolia, and from there, all the way back to Singapore; and a 2011 odyssey from Cape Town to Cairo.He relies on Toyota and Mitsubishi SUVs, but has done several trips with his 1970 Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible, which he has driven over long unpaved stretches."These cars were very advanced in their day and very robust," he says of the Rolls-Royce.His fascination with Rolls-Royce - and long-time sister brand Bentley - dates back to "when I was 12"."At that time, you could get a house in London for ¢G3,500. But a Bentley R-Type Continental was ¢G7,500," he recalls. "I dreamed that one day I could afford one."Today, his collection includes a 1926 Rolls-Royce Twenty and a 1939 Bentley 4-1/4 Litre - both of which are kept in the living room of his house off Bartley Road.Outside, there is the Corniche and that 1953 R-Type Continental - one of only 250 units made. "It was the heaviest and fastest car back then," Mr Lim says.The silver coupe still looks fast, with covered rear wheels, muscular haunches and a wind-cheating teardrop shape.In his second home in Sydney, he has a relatively modern Bentley Azure convertible.In fact, all his cars look like they have many more years in them. Like their owner."I think I have 20 more years of good driving," he says.christan@sph.com.sg文件倉