Knowing when to give up the keys, or when to take them from an older relative, is tricky. But with older drivers in one state responsible for a shockingly high number of road fatalities and injuries, is it time to take a harder stance?
Driving a car is a key part of living an independent life. Without driving, your transport options, and therefore your options to move around, are severely limited. The effect is compounded for older people and people living in remote areas.
It’s no secret that our driving skills tend to lose their edge as we age. Eyesight deteriorates, your reaction times are slower and your chances of being involved in an accident increase dramatically.
But admitting to yourself that your driving skills are no longer up to scratch is understandably tough. Actually hanging up the car keys for good is another matter entirely.
The problem gets even worse if it’s not you, but an older relative whose driving abilities are causing concern. If the driver doesn’t feel there’s anything wrong, then trying to stop them from driving could be seen as an attack on them and a threat to their independence.
But properly assessing a person’s ability to drive safely is a matter of life and death – as residents of Victoria are only too aware.
Fatality figures
In the past five years, drivers aged 65 and over have been responsible for at least 145 fatalities and more than 7000 injuries on Victorian roads, according to analysis from The Age.
Around two-thirds of deaths (97) and a little over one-quarter (1868) of injuries were the at-fault older drivers themselves. The remainder were other drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists.
In NSW, Queensland, WA and the ACT, drivers aged 75 and over are subject to annual medical assessments to ensure they are still fit to drive.
But in Victoria, SA and Tasmania, no such requirement exists for car licence holders. Now, health and legal experts are calling for a nationwide policy to be implemented to stop the confusion.
Dr Michael Clements, vice-president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners told News Limited he would like to see stricter testing for older people introduced in the state.
“We’re calling on the government to consider making these annual health checks just part of routine business and making it mandatory, just like it is in other states,” he said.
“Our ability to respond to shocks, changes in weather conditions, kids running out on the roads chasing a ball, all of those things happen quite suddenly.”
But Chris Potaris, former chief executive of the Council on the Ageing Victoria, hit back against the proposal, calling mandatory driving tests for older motorists “ageist and arbitrary”.
“We continue to support Victoria’s approach, which emphasises a driver’s behaviour and medical fitness to operate a motor vehicle,” he said.
Ability, not age
“Driving should be based on ability, not on age.”
He said the introduction of mandatory testing could also lead to additional costs for older motorists, potentially forcing people to give up their licence before they are ready. This could, in turn, further fuel social isolation and possibly even cause people to enter aged care before they wish.
Figures from VicRoads show more than 993,000 people aged 65 and over hold a driver’s licence in Victoria, and comprise almost 20 per cent of total licence holders. This figure is up from 15.8 per cent just 10 years ago.
As our population ages, this proportion of older drivers will only grow, so perhaps it is finally time for a national older-driver-assessment scheme of some sort.
Do you think testing older drivers annually is fair? Or is it just another form of age discrimination? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Also read: Even good drivers make mistakes