‘Fairness’ for older Tassie drivers
Tasmania’s older drivers will be treated like others behind the wheel after compulsory annual driving tests for motorists aged 85 years or over officially ended. Infrastructure Minister, David O’Byrne, recently announced the policy change in August, saying a review of crash statistics for older drivers revealed the older age group were not a major road safety risk in Tasmania.
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Tasmania’s older drivers will be treated like others behind the wheel after compulsory annual driving tests for motorists aged 85 years or over officially ended.
Infrastructure Minister, David O’Byrne, recently announced the policy change in August, saying a review of crash statistics for older drivers revealed the older age group were not a major road safety risk in Tasmania.
“This is all about equality and fairness. Improving technology and care safety features should allow older drivers to drive more safely, for longer,” Mr O’Byrne says.
The change to older driver licensing is welcomed by Council on the Ageing (COTA) Tasmania, which “strongly supports” the removal of older driver on-road mandatory assessments.
“By removing this unnecessary assessment, the government is supporting the needs and rights of older Tasmanians,” COTA Tasmania, chief executive, Maxine Griffiths, says.
“Statistically, older drivers do not cause more road deaths or accidents than any other age cohort in Australia. Many older drivers self-regulate their driving habits anyway,” she adds.
The Tasmanian policy change coincides with a revised version of the Older Driver Handbook, which was developed by the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (DIER), in partnership with the Motor Accidents Insurance Board (MAIB).
A brochure, developed specifically for older drivers, which stresses the importance for a driver to assess their own driving abilities, will also feature useful information and be included in medical renewals for drivers 75 years of age or older, over the next 12 months.
A similar rule change was made in Western Australia which exempts drivers aged 75 to 78 years from undertaking a medical assessment to renew their licence. Click here to read DPS News’ story published last month.
The Older Driver Handbook is now available, and free to download, from the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources website, with hard-copies available at Service Tasmania.
