Roadside Assist: The drivers at death’s door
One expert has come up with a left-of-centre proposal to save Aussie drivers from themselves and cut down our horrendous road toll.
When a reader asked for advice surrounding the best way to get elderly relatives to stop driving, we had many thought-provoking response – even from doctors on the front line. I remain convinced drivers over 70 should have practical retests every few years, and younger drivers every decade.
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They must not be money-making exercises. If the government’s serious about reducing the road toll, it would fully fund the scheme so there’s no charge for a retest. As so many letters show, poor driving and poor decision making is rife among all age groups, and visible, effective road policing’s a must.
As should be more detailed data of accidents involving casualties. What age group/sex was deemed at-fault? What types of vehicles were involved? And were the likes of phone distraction, drugs, alcohol or speeding a cause? Detailed information simply doesn’t exist. International drivers?
Australia has a list of recognised and non-recognised countries which determines if you can simply apply for an Australian licence, or if you must take a driver knowledge and practical test to obtain one.
– Iain Curry
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All drivers – including police, fire and ambulance – should be retested every five years, then in later life every two years, then annually in really late life.
There must be support (for those who can no longer drive) for practical matters such as shopping, social and family activities. Put in place solutions: you cannot abandon the isolated nor assume there is public transport, because there isn’t.
Dr Andrew Keen, email
One very old driver gets confused and you want to test everyone every two years? You should be a brainless politician because that’s the sort of expensive blanket solution they like to propose. Most deadly accidents involve much younger drivers, and let’s also look at how many are recent arrivals (to Australia).
Tony O, email
My experience as a medical examiner for licence renewals led me to conclude you must be at death’s door to fail. Personal physicians are notoriously unwilling to fail their own patients. Thus the only test worth a cracker is, as you suggest, a practical test every ten years for drivers of all ages. I believe if current drivers had to do the test given to new teenage applicants, at least half would fail their first attempt.
Dr Trevor Sauer, Mapleton
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It’s unfair to just target (baby) Boomers. We need a blanket approach (for licencing) and to update the road rules book to be plain English. In this age of electric vehicles, the acceleration and way of stopping has changed. Confusing for some, deadly to others. With an EV’s instant acceleration, pedal misapplication will cause more deaths. Younger generations are more about automation with lack or attention or hands-on control. People admit to watching shows and movies on the phones while driving. There must be better regulation and compliance to have drivers concentrating 100 per cent on the road.
Daniel Rianto, email
I’m a driver over 70 and witness younger drivers showing dangerous impatience. They speed in traffic, try to beat red lights, corner too fast and dangerously change lanes. There’s no uproar regarding their driving skills, or lack thereof. I believe 18-25 year-old males are most represented in road accidents and deaths. And I recently saw a parent drive straight through our school’s flagged children’s crossing while I was crossing with two students. I wonder who are the most dangerous drivers?
Elizabeth H, email
I think you’ll find the majority of road deaths are caused by 18 to 30 year-olds. But one person’s injured by an elderly person and the outcry is to ban the over-60s. Perhaps it’s the 18-30s who should be the ones tested each year for mental attitude to road rules?
Wayne Robinson, email
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What’s being done about all the deaths caused by younger drivers constantly using their phones while driving? More and killed or maimed from those drivers.
Glynis Robinson, email
I believe it’s still the case that most drivers involved in major accidents are males between 18 and 48. I never see calls for mandatory retesting for them. Women are often relegated to passenger seat status in younger years with husband driving, leading them to think they shouldn’t or couldn’t drive. We should change the culture so women have an equal right to share driving, perhaps by enabling girls to get licences younger than boys due to their less risk-taking behaviour. Just tackling a small cohort (elderly drivers) when a much larger number of male drivers are involved in accidents demonstrates discrimination.
L Allison, email
Is there analysis done on road fatalities and the offender for the incident? I feel that would give a clearer picture of the age group the needs regular testing. Elderly drivers cause deaths, but so do a lot of young hoons on our roads.
Nalini Jesudason, email
As an elderly driver, I believe we were taught to drive differently. You stay to the left and indicate when changing lanes. We didn’t speed or have road rage like the young ones do; they should show a little bit of courtesy.
Dorothy Haywood, email
I’d be very interested to see road fatalities comparing drivers over 70 and those under 30. Seems there’s the typical knee-jerk reaction to a fatality caused by an older driver by the motoring media. Many fatalities are caused by stupidity and disregard for road rules. Indicators seem optional these days, never mind not stopping at amber lights about to turn red.
Russell Saal, email
Older drivers? In Victoria, it’s just bad driving all the time from selfish drivers to international drivers. Does Vic Roads just give licences away? Police must start booking idiot drivers, driving instructors should only qualify if they teach rules properly and international drivers shouldn’t be given a licence without being tested here.
Lisa S, email
Instead of medical tests, every driver over 70 should have an actual driving test every two years. If they still have all their abilities and road sense, the test should be no problem for them. I’m 72 and would happily sit a test every year or so. Bruce Bowering said: “most elderly drivers know when to stop driving,” but I disagree. Nobody wants to lose their independence, and will keep driving long after they should have given their keys away.
Ian Mackenzie, Indooroopilly
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Originally published as Roadside Assist: The drivers at death’s door
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