NSW, Queensland and Western Australia require drivers aged 75 and older to undergo an annual medical assessment to keep their licences. NSW also requires motorists aged 85 and above to undergo a practical driving assessment every two years to maintain an unrestricted licence.
Associate Professor Sjaan Koppel, of Monash University Accident Research Centre, said research showed mandatory assessments were not effective, with no significant difference in older driver crash rates in jurisdictions that had them.
But she said mandatory tests did appear to push older adults into giving up their driver’s licences prematurely, even when they were still fit to drive, because they were nervous about having to sit a driving exam.
“And we know that premature driving cessation is associated with a whole range of negative psychosocial and health consequences,” she said. “People feel isolated; they don’t know how to connect with community or services or friends and family any more.”
Koppel said she supported Victoria’s model of mandatory medical condition reporting because it captured all drivers whose fitness to drive might be impaired, regardless of their age.
“Where we see a bit of a disconnect is if there is a cognitive impairment and people do not have the insight to recognise that there are those changes,” she said. “That’s where probably we need to be making sure that we’re referring those people into the licensing authority.”
In 2023, Victoria had a fatal road crash rate of 3.8 per 100,000 of population. That compares with 3.6 in NSW, 4.8 in Queensland and 5.1 in Western Australia. Nationwide, the rate was 4.3.
Victorian motorists are legally required to report serious or permanent medical conditions to VicRoads so it can conduct a medical review. Family, friends or health professionals can also refer drivers to VicRoads for medical assessments, and this can be anonymously.
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VicRoads conducted 180,000 high-risk driver reviews in the 2024 financial year, according to the Department of Transport and Planning’s annual report.
Reviews can lead VicRoads to request a follow-up driving assessment, cancel a motorist’s licence, or impose conditions on their licence, such as restricting the time of day or distance from home they can drive.
Younger and older drivers are both over-represented in road injuries and deaths. But Koppel said that mostly reflected the fact older people were much more susceptible to injury in a crash.
Changes to an older driver’s eyesight, hearing, memory, reaction times and physical strength can all affect their ability to drive, as can chronic medical conditions that become more common as people age.
VicRoads advises that occupational therapists can help older drivers adjust their vehicles to account for changes to their health, such as installing additional mirrors, adjustable seating, controls and steering aids.
The chief executive of Council on the Ageing Victoria, Ben Rogers, said his organisation would support any change to the road rules as long as it was based on drivers’ ability, not just age.
“That’s where we really support the Victorian system, which is about people reflecting on their own ability, and there are also opportunities for GPs and loved ones or people who know them to make reports,” he said. “We think that is effective.”
Rogers said forcing people to stop driving prematurely could lead to them being socially isolated and moving into aged care before they are ready.
Rogers said there was room for improvement in supporting ageing people to consider their abilities, starting conversations with loved ones about their driving ability, and making alternative forms of transport available so they could remain connected to the community if they stopped driving.
“We don’t think the answer is saying, just because you’re over 75, you’re the problem and you’re the one that has to jump through all these barriers,” he said.
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Victoria chair Dr Anita Muñoz said anyone who drove a car needed to be certain they would be safe doing so.
“If you’re a person over 65, I think that you should be asking your GP to help you answer that question,” she said.
However, Muñoz said her organisation was not pushing for mandatory medical checks. Motorists needed to ask themselves if they felt safe driving every time they got behind the wheel, she said.
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