The state government will continue to force older drivers to undergo mandatory on-road testing to keep an unrestricted licence despite pressure from one of the country's largest seniors lobby group to drop the ruling which they describe as discriminatory.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association, which has fought hard against the ruling, used its annual conference to call for a scrapping of the measure.
Age Discrimination Commissioner Susan Ryan opened the conference on Tuesday, saying on-road testing did not improve safety.
"Older drivers in NSW and other jurisdictions are discriminated against through the on-road testing of older drivers, which is imposed on people aged 85 and over, but has not been proven to improve road safety,'' she said.
However, a spokesman for Transport for NSW said an independent review of licensing rules for drivers over the age of 75 showed that drivers should be monitored for their own safety as well as that of other road users.
The review by the Older Drivers Taskforce, completed last month, recommended medical and driving tests continue for older drivers in NSW.
Drivers over the age of 75 must have an annual medical check to continue driving.
Drivers of the age of 85 can choose to have an unrestricted licence if they do an on-road driving test every two years. Those who don't want to do the test can opt for a modified licence which limits how far they can travel from home.
The taskforce found that as the number of older drivers on our roads increases, so does the risk of more crashes for this group.
Accident statistics show that drivers aged over 85 are most vulnerable, as they are they are more than twice as likely as other motorists to be involved in a fatal accident. The taskforce also cited the growing prevalence of dementia and the risk it poses for road safety.
