Media release
19 October 2010

Don’t pick on older drivers just because they’re old

The right to drive on Tasmania’s roads should not depend on how old you are but on your ability to drive safely, National Seniors Australia (NSA) said today.

Spokesperson for NSA in Tasmania, Arnold Bates, said that to suggest that just because someone was old they should lose the privilege of driving was illogical and unfair.

“NSA believes that there is no answer to “How old is old?” and that an assessment of driving skills needs to be based on ability rather than age,” Mr Bates said.

“Research highlights that older drivers are no more of a road risk than other groups of drivers. While there are higher mortality rates of older drivers in accidents this is a direct result of two factors; one is increasing fragility with age and; the second is because older drivers tend to have older cars with less safety features,” he said.

Mr Bates said NSA was not opposed to retaining a medical based driver’s licence testing.

“We know that as people age they may have difficulty with night driving but GP’s need to monitor all patients who have physical and mental issues that may affect their ability to drive. This applies to all ages, not just old people,” he said.

Older driver refresher courses were also encouraged by NSA with the course including elements of defensive driving and information on new safety measures for cars.
In supporting refresher courses for the older driver NSA believes a cross section of the community would benefit from refresher driving courses.

“Surely our young, inexperienced drivers would benefit from refresher driving courses at regular intervals. There is a very good reason as to why younger drivers pay higher insurance premiums and the community as a whole should be working to ensure that everyone, regardless of age, has the necessary skills to drive on our roads and not endanger the safety of others,” Mr Bates said.

National Seniors’ submission to the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources’ review of the Older Driver Licensing System draws attention to an important issue missing from the discussion.

“The lack of access to adequate alternative public transport options, especially for people living outside Hobart and Launceston is not discussed.

“Whether a State has a mandatory testing system or a voluntary licence surrender scheme, there have to be alternative transport options available so that basic and meaningful services, such as health, retail, community services, as a well as the ability to keep connected to family and friends, are accessible.

“Being able to connect with services and the community are important features of a healthy life and unfortunately this has aspect has not been included in the discussion paper,” Mr Bates said.

Arnold Bates is available for interview: 03 9650 6144