A driver education program that helped older South Australian motorists stay safer behind the wheel has been scrapped by the State Government as the road toll climbs to its highest in a decade.

Key points: The program was delivered to more than 2,500 drivers in South Australia

The program was delivered to more than 2,500 drivers in South Australia SA Council on the Ageing's Jane Mussared said the consequences for older people in accidents are "much more serious"

SA Council on the Ageing's Jane Mussared said the consequences for older people in accidents are "much more serious" Drivers over 70 are also no longer required to undergo medical assessments annually

So far this year, 113 people have died on South Australian roads and about a third of those victims have been aged over 60.

South Australia Council on the Ageing ran the Moving Right Along program, which had been delivered to more than 2,500 drivers around the state.

If it was no longer safe for older motorists to drive, the program also gave information about giving up their licence.

Chief Executive Officer Jane Mussared said she was "really disappointed" that the scheme would not continue next year without the funding and hoped the decision did not lead to more accidents.

"If older people have accidents then the consequences are much more serious," she told ABC News.

"We are more and more a part of the road community — as passengers, as drivers, as mobility scooter drivers, as pedestrians — so it's really important that road safety messages are available across all ages.

"It's $100,000 each year, that's all — it works out to about $40 a pop — for people to get really decent information and have a chance to chew over and work out what their options are.

"That's the real shame for us. This is not expensive."

Drivers over the age of 70 are no longer required to undergo an annual medical assessment.

Instead, they now self-assess their ability to continue driving.

'Ability to drive' changes with age

One of the sessions within the Moving Right Along program focused on those assessments and older motorists' fitness to drive.

Andy Cawley has volunteered as a driver educator with the program for several years. ( ABC News: Claire Campbell )

Andy Cawley, who has volunteered as a driver educator with the program for several years, said self-assessment only worked well if people were honest and well educated.

He knows all too well the different challenges older motorists face and said it needed as much attention and resources as was allocated to younger, inexperienced drivers.

"It's an area where we need to have maximum amounts of exposure because as we get older our ability to drive does change," he said.

"And so they do really need to think about when they're driving or how they're driving and whether conditions and how they're feeling on the day.

"To get people considering and thinking about their driving is an advantage. I think the program was good because it also gave driver awareness but gave great alternatives to getting around in our daily lives if we're not driving."

Regional drivers less likely to give up licence

Ms Mussared said the program was particularly useful in regional areas, where older people were less willing to give up their drivers licence due to the lack of public transport.

Germaine Rowberry and Jane Mussared ran the Moving Right Along program. ( ABC News: Claire Campbell )

She has called on the State Government to reinstate the funding.

"People are really scared about losing a driving licence, they're really scared about what alternatives they have and about being stuck at home really," she said.

"The evidence says, if they're well-informed they [self-assess] very well; they stop driving at night, they stop driving long distances, they give up a licence all together.

"But it's very important that they have the information to help them do that and that they have alternatives."

Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said the State Government was instead investing money on improving regional roads.

"What this Government is doing is investing the money where it's going to do the most good and fixing up country roads is the best way to reduce the number of people who lose their lives on our roads," he said.

"The Government took a decision 18 months ago to let a contract run it's natural course in relation to older driver and the older driving program.

"That is not the only program being run to help educate older drivers; there are other resources that the department has, there's also other resources and programs that the RAA [Royal Automobile Association] run."