Driving tests for elderly axed

By Katherine Hoby
Elderly drivers no longer have to sit a practical road test to renew their licence - but controversy has erupted over the cost of getting medical certificates and whether doctors will be tough enough.
Compulsory on-road tests for drivers aged 80 and over were scrapped this week.
Drivers renewing their licence at age 75, 80, and every two years after that will still need a medical certificate from their GP, and doctors can still ask for a practical test to be carried out.
But Age Concern and Grey Power in the Western Bay are concerned superannuitants might be forced to pay at least double their normal GP fee to get medical certificates for their licences.
Both organisations have had at least one incident each already reported where fees were hiked for medical certificates.
Grey Power past president and social gerontologist, Carole Gordon, who led the campaign to abolish compulsory on-road testing for older people, said one person has reported being charged $71.
"I am concerned older people might be exploited," she said.
"Some older people have reported they have paid exorbitant amounts already."
Older people should not be paying a higher amount and should ask why, if they were charged more, she said.
"Some doctors will value their relationships with older people and not up the rates."
Getting a medical certificate for a driver's licence should be treated as a normal health check.
She was incensed people would think elderly people more risky on the roads than others.
"Can we be assured that a 19-year-old is going to drive safely? Stop applying prejudice to certain age groups," she said.
Mrs Gordon said older people would now, even more than before, need to impose limits on themselves. That might include not driving at night, or outside their neighbourhood.
"We're talking about respected human beings who have lived a long time. That was why they considered the testing an insult."
An informal poll of seven GP practices in the Western Bay found a variety of charges for medical assessments.
Two maintained they would charge regular patients a normal consultation fee of $28, with one other adding $5 to that.
One Tauranga practice said it would continue charging $61.40 for a driver's medical.
At least one practice manager pointed out the change was a big one, putting the onus squarely on doctors, some of whom would have great difficulty telling patients they knew well they could not clear them to drive.
Tauranga Age Concern president Lorraine Wilson had reports of higher fees for medical certificates in the past three months.
"One woman ... had to pay almost triple the normal cost," she said.
"By and large, older people don't have many discretionary dollars."
Mrs Wilson said she "sincerely hoped" GPs would not see the reliance on medical certificates as a way of increasing turnover.
Older people had often been going to their GP for years and would not "shop around".
Age Concern had been part of the discussion about ditching mandatory on-road testing and recommended it be reconsidered.
She stressed older drivers would need to have increased awareness of their responsibilities. "The onus is on them to self-analyse," she said.
Age Concern was attempting to set up a public meeting in February with the Minister of Transport, senior traffic officers, and have a Public Health Organisation official in attendance.
Sergeant Lester Polglase of Western Bay's strategic traffic unit warned doctors - as the only line of testing - would need to be firm. "My real issue is whether doctors are taking their responsibility seriously," he said.
Some people might be long-term patients. "If doctors are prepared to say 'it's a little risk but the risk is there and you shouldn't be driving' and take the person off the road, despite their pleas or good driving record, that would be good."
He stressed Tauranga was a special case when it came to driving. "Doctors have to realise, particularly in Tauranga, traffic is horrendous. Perhaps in Waikikamukau where there are five cars it'd be okay, but not here."
Insurance Council chief executive Chris Ryan said previously that insurance company statistics showed the elderly were the highest risk group for driver accidents after the group aged under 25. The medical tests were not enough.