Medical tests for older drivers to be abolished in SA

Updated

Mandatory medical testing of older drivers will be abolished in South Australia.

From next September, drivers aged 70 and over will no longer face annual medical testing to be able to retain their licence.

Minister for Health and Ageing Jack Snelling says South Australia's crash rate is similar to Victoria's, where there is no age-based testing.

"There's nothing to suggest this annual compulsory testing really does anything to reduce the incidence of road accidents," he said.

The point is to come up with a regime that tests people's capacity when there's a reason to believe they have a problem with driving Ian Yates

Mr Snelling thinks some older people have stopped driving because of the burden of being tested.

"Age-based testing has ... been found to prompt some older drivers to cease driving, which in turn reduces their social interaction and engagement in the community," he said.

Ian Yates from the Council On The Ageing says it is another step toward ending aged-based discrimination.

"The point is to come up with a regime that tests people's capacity when there's a reason to believe they have a problem with driving and not have a go at them because they've reached a certain age," he said.

"The number of people over the age of 70 is going to increase dramatically over the next 10 or 20 years and those people are an enormous resource for our community."

A working group chaired by retired judge Alan Moss will consider ways to ensure road safety is not compromised by the change.

The Government says health practitioners will still be required to notify the Registrar of Motor Vehicles if they think a driver or licence applicant is temporarily or permanently unfit to drive, regardless of their age.

South Australian drivers themselves also are required to notify authorities if they have any physical or mental illness, disability or other issue that might impair driving.

Adelaide resident Joan Stone, 86, says it has been a burden getting regular medical tests to be allowed to keep her licence.

"It makes older people feel a little bit second-class citizens," she said.

Topics: discrimination, older-people, community-and-society, government-and-politics, states-and-territories, sa, adelaide-5000, mount-gambier-5290, port-augusta-5700, port-pirie-5540, port-lincoln-5606, renmark-5341, australia

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