Information related to older drivers.
Cognitive testing of older drivers is one of the questions I am asked most often by drivers and their families. Many people believe that reaching age 80 automatically means taking a memory test or losing their driver's licence. In British Columbia, drivers must complete a Driver's Medical Examination beginning at age 80, but cognitive testing is only one part of the medical assessment when it is considered appropriate.
Deciding to stop driving is one of the most emotionally charged choices a family will ever face. For senior drivers, a driver’s license represents a lifetime of freedom and independence. For their adult children, watching a parent’s driving skills decline brings deep worry, stress, and a fear for public safety.
We have built our world around the convenience of the motor vehicle. Without one, our focus suddenly becomes much more narrow. Are you prepared to cope with the decision to stop driving when the time comes?
My father, who just turned 80, is undergoing a mandatory drivers' exam next month. He did not pass the previous one, largely due to his inability to shoulder check, according to the score sheet he was given.
Road Safety for Seniors is a seminar or webinar that I created to present as part of Vancouver Island University's Elder College program in the early 2000s. It has evolved from a single three hour presentation to an eight hour presentation held in two hour sessions over a period of four weeks.
I've joined the ranks of the senior citizens and my last formal driver training class was in the late 1990's. With that in mind I was wondering about planning to become a better driver. ChatGPT offered some advice, but I still had to correct some of it. Here's what AI shared with me in response to my question after my edits.
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.
This case provides a clear look at how the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles in British Columbia decides who is fit to stay behind the wheel. In Ahmad v. British Columbia, the court explains why a driver's licence cancellation was upheld despite the driver’s appeal.