Older Drivers

I am often asked to write on the topic of senior driver re-exams when there is a crash where an older driver has mistaken the gas for the brake and collided with a building. People are concerned that many members of this easily identified segment of our society shouldn't be on the road.

Question: A dear senior friend who was called for a re-examination failed the road test. That friend has now been issued a learner driver's licence which requires them to be supervised by a fully licensed adult driver. What is the legal responsibility of said driver supervisor?

I've had a couple of regular correspondents ask me recently about night driving glasses. These glasses have yellow lenses and are supposed to cut glare and increase contrast allowing you to see better in the darkness. After a bit of research, it appears that using these glasses is not a good idea.

The case of Ahmad v British Columbia (Superintendent of Motor Vehicles) involves Syed (Joe) Ahmad who was 86 years old at the beginning of this story. Mr. Ahmad suffered from a number of health issues and based on a DMER submitted by his doctor, the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles requested the results of the in-office cognitive screening tests.

Help! My father is 87 and has had a minor accident. My sibling and I would like to see him give up his license and stop driving to keep him safe, not to mention others. He won't give it up freely! We don't want to be disinherited either! Who or what do we contact without him knowing?

Barbara Husband was sentenced to a $500 fine and given a five year driving prohibition after being found guilty of driving without due care and attention when she struck and injured a child while attempting to park in the parking lot of Ospika Pets in Prince George. She appealed the decision as being inappropriate. She lives 17 km. out of town, has driven for 69 years without receiving a traffic ticket, has lots of friends and is active in her church.

Question: My 89 year old father voluntarily restricted his driver's license after an at fault single vehicle accident 5 years ago. He is now limited to local driving only. While recently vacationing in Washington State he asked “can I drive here?” I wasn’t sure as lives in Lillooet B.C.

Question: Why is there such a discrepancy in price for a medical exam for people turning 80 years old? My doctor quoted $80 before he retired and when I went to a walk in clinic to get the test recently it was $200. That seems quite unfair to me.

CarFit is an educational program operated in a partnership between the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and the Canadian Automobile Association. Originally designed to offer older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles "fit" them, drivers of any age may benefit.

One of the blessings of running this web site are the "conversations" that I have with the people who find me through my writing. Sometimes they share some very personal views with me and occasionally allow me to share it here. This is one of those stories.