Government reforms remove the threat of harsh licence restrictions on ageing motorists.

The NSW Government has decided against proposals to severely restrict elderly drivers’ freedoms, following persistent objections from NRMA and its Members.

The changes originally proposed by the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) and NSW Government would have unfairly penalised older drivers (that is, those over 85).

The RTA proposed that the driving test was to stay and would only be abolished for those drivers who opted to take up a 10km radius restricted licence. Both options had to be opposed. The NRMA successfully argued against plans to restrict drivers to a 10km radius from their homes.

“We thought that was highly discriminatory,” says Graham Blight, NRMA Director and driving force behind the organisation’s fight against the proposals. “Particularly for country people, where there’s no public transport, 10km was totally inadequate and why restrict anyway?”

The call for greater restrictions on elderly drivers came after statistics emerged some years ago showing a big increase in the number of older Australians as a percentage of the total population. According to RTA data, the number of drivers aged 85 or over on NSW roads is currently 23,000, with the figure projected to rise to 52,000 by 2023.

Responding to this, the RTA released a discussion paper, Licensing of Older Drivers, in July 2007. The paper referred to the loss of sensory, cognitive and motor skills and “reduced perceptual performance and loss of memory capacity” among older drivers, and revealed that it wanted to significantly overhaul the rules that determined whether the elderly were allowed to keep their driver licences.

The point had been made that when older drivers had a crash, their fatality rate was quite high. However, “that was not because of the severity of the crash, it was because a lot of them were frail,” says Blight, who also points out that 16 per cent of drivers between 17 and 35 have 30 per cent of the road trauma.

“So we campaigned on the basis that older drivers were in the very low crash range and that most of them weren’t a real danger on the road.”

The NRMA needed to lobby for a fair deal for older drivers while finding a responsible road safety position. Public interest in this issue was almost unprecedented - the RTA received over 24,000 submissions to its discussion paper (see below), and the overwhelming public perception was that there were too many bad drivers on the roads, in all age groups.

As the process began, the NRMA consulted its Members, 105,000 of whom are over 80, reviewed all the research on older drivers and came up with a number of suggestions. Some people floated the idea of giving older drivers S (for senior) plates. However, the majority of older drivers and Blight strenuously objected to this and it was dropped.

Another problem was Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal’s insistence on retaining a driving test for older drivers to keep their licence. NRMA felt the current test was unnecessarily harsh.

“We had to develop something that was fair and reasonable to older people but we could also sell to the minister. So we came up with the idea of having driving assessments for people over 85.”

NRMA, other key organisations and the NSW Government worked together to find a solution. Now, instead of the option of a test or a modified licence, older drivers will have several options.

They will have the option of choosing to do a test with the RTA every two years or a driving assessment with a driving instructor (RTA accredited). They will drive their own car in their own environment and if they have no problems, they maintain their licence. If, however, they have difficulties in certain areas - using a roundabout, for example - they will need to undertake tuition before they are re-assessed.

But if they choose not to do the assessment, they will be formally tested by the RTA.

They have to choose one option or the other. That test will now be every two years and it will be more relevant than the present system, more accurately reflecting the abilities and driving skills of older people.

NRMA is currently working with the RTA and other groups to decide on the format and content of the assessments and tests.

“We’re looking forward to all this coming in early 2009,” says Blight. “We would like it next week, but that’s not possible. If we can get it done any earlier, then we will.”

In addition, drivers will now be required to get an annual medical from the age of 75 instead of 80, which NRMA Members approved.

“Our Members thought that was fair,” says Blight, pointing out how good older drivers in general are at self-regulating. Blight also stresses how much work the NRMA has done educating the wider community so that “more people understand the issues of driving at that age. We’re also encouraging people when they’re getting older to have a refresher course at a training school. Because keeping your skills up to date will ensure you’re mobile for far longer.”

Blight believes this issue is one of the most important the NRMA has ever been involved in, and is delighted the outcome has satisfied the requirements of the minister and government, the wider community and older drivers.

“We had to win this,” he says, “because if we didn’t there were going to be a lot of people disadvantaged.”

Open Road May/June 2008