The B.C. chapters of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) has asked Justice Minister Suzanne Anton to scrap the regulations that force 80-year-old drivers to submit to DriveABLE’s cognitive tests and road tests.
“It’s time for British Columbia to abolish special rules for senior drivers and treat all age groups equally. Ageism is an outmoded concept that has no place in BC. We urge you to treat seniors with dignity and respect by eliminating special rules for senior drivers,” the association states in its submission to the minister.
The submission was prepared by Bruce Bird, Chair of North Fraser chapter of CARP on behalf of all BC chapters and members. Bird is a Fellow of the Insurance Institute of Canada and has worked in the insurance and re-insurance industry for 21 years.
“The present rules about senior driver re-examination are unfair and discriminatory,” Bird says. “They are based on an outmoded concept of seniors as old and feeble, content to lounge in their rocking chairs until infirmity puts them in a wheelchair or sends them to an early grave.
“This old image no longer applies. Most of today’s seniors travel extensively, participate actively in sports and other recreational programs and contribute to their local communities in many ways. They are the largest group of volunteers, contributing millions of hours of unpaid work to sports organizations, charities, community and health organizations.”
The submission to Anton claims that DriveABLE tests are “unreliable and punitive.”
Edmonton-based DriveABLE has been contracted by the province to test all seniors 80-plus.
“Almost half of all DriveABLE test results are inconclusive, according to recent scientific studies,” Bird claims. (See a related betterthan50.com article at this link …)
“Dr. Alan Dobbs’ (DriveABLE’s chief scientist) claim to the contrary, there is no scientifically proven validity to the tests. His self-conceived validity studies are akin to pharmaceutical companies declaring their drugs are safe without any regulatory oversight. In too many cases these assumptions have been proven to be wrong.”
The North Fraser chapter of CARP held two public meetings on seniors driving rules and some other B.C. chapters also held meetings.
Some of the stories they heard were heart wrenching. When seniors lose their driving licences they lose their independence and feel isolated. They find it difficult to go to medical appointments and virtually impossible to attend the social events that keep them alive and alert, the submission states.
Bird says ICBC gives drivers over 65 a discount on their car insurance because claims costs are lower for over 65s.
The United States Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a report in February 2014 which showed that the rate of decline in traffic accidents is greater for seniors than for middle-aged drivers. During the 1997 – 2012 period, fatal crash rates per licensed driver fell 42 per cent for older drivers and only 30 percent for middle aged ones (35-54).
As well, low mileage bias studies show that concern about accidents per distance travelled by seniors has been greatly exaggerated.
The Institute study showed that accident rates per vehicle mile travelled also declined faster for drivers 70 and older than for 35 to 54 year olds.
The submission also reports that Ontario recently considered using DriveABLE tests to determine seniors’ driving competence. Following a request from CARP to re-consider their decision, the province decided on a more humane approach to test the ability to drive safely.
“Senior drivers as a group should be treated the same as other age groups of drivers. All bad drivers should be treated harshly. But all good drivers should be treated kindly, regardless of their age,” Bird says.
CARP is a national, non-profit, non-partisan organization with a membership of more than 300,000 and promotes social change that will bring seniors financial security, equitable access to health care and freedom from discrimination.
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