NSW govt rejects S-for-Senior ID on cars
Organisations representing older Australians have welcomed the decision by the NSW government to reject the suggestion that older drivers should be forced to display an ‘S-plate’ – for senior – on their cars.
National Seniors chief executive officer, Michael O’Neill, said the proposal, raised in a NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) discussion paper, was not only discriminatory but appeared to be based on flawed data.
“The RTA data indicates that older drivers may have a lower crash risk per kilometre than other drivers.”
He said it was because many seniors self-regulated their driving to places and times they felt comfortable with. This, along with current mandatory medical testing and, in a number of states, a driving test, is adequate to ensure the safety of older drivers on the roads.
“Seniors will be glad to see that this proposal has been rejected and that commonsense has prevailed. However, other, equally discriminatory, proposals remain in the RTA’s discussion paper, including the suggestion that drivers over 85 should automatically be restricted to driving within a radius of just 10 kilometres of their home.”
