Drivers with medical conditions impairing their skills are increasingly being taken off the road thanks to family dobbers

The family and friends of dangerous drivers have been credited with taking hundreds more medically-unfit people off SA’s roads each year. VOTE: Would you dob in your own family member?

• Older drivers con doctors
• Medical test for drivers scrapped

Family and friends dobbing in those close to them have been credited with taking hundreds more medically unfit and potentially dangerous elderly drivers off the road each year.

Transport Department figures reveal record numbers of drivers with serious medical conditions are having their licences cancelled.

During the 2017/18 financial year, 3027 drivers had their licence taken away, 2389 of them were 75 years or older.

The Transport Department in 2014 replaced compulsory annual doctors’ checks for older drivers with an honesty system. It now requires drivers over 75 to volunteer information to the department if they become ill.

In the last year of the previous system of annual checks for elderly drivers in 2013/14, only 2423 people had their licence removed, 1885 of them over the age of 75.

RAA road safety expert Charles Mountain credited the increase with vigilant family and friends who were protecting the safety of their loved ones.

“People can be quite good when they sit in from of a doctor for 10 minutes but over a period of time if you spend time in the passenger seat with them you can see other factors which can raise doubts about their cognitive and physical abilities,’’ he said.

“The (policy change) intention was to make it easier, but there was always a need for people to be honest with themselves and about their ability to drive as their medical conditions develop, and it seems to be very effective.

“What is happening is that families and friends are also more aware that they have responsibility for this as well, to have a discussion with their loved ones if they see that there is a problem.’’

The hatchback inside the Giant Adelaide bike shop. Picture: Toby Zerna

The compulsory annual medical check of older drivers was dumped in line with the practice in other states and after The Advertiser revealed:

ONE in ten drivers in a door-to-door survey of 3000 said they would avoid telling their doctor the truth about their ability to drive.

THE Equal Opportunity Commission ruled it was discriminatory to test older drivers who may be more healthy than younger counterparts.

“Some people are quite fine and healthy at 90 years of age and some are quite unable to drive in their late 60s, and the new system takes account of the fact that people age differently," Mr Mountain said.

He said it was also important to keep compulsory driver testing and disqualification for any older driver with a licence to drive a vehicle other than a private car. Doctors are still required to notify the Transport Department when younger people develop medical conditions which could stop them from driving safely.