Chicken Egg Conundrum

Mandatory testing and assessment by a neutral Physician.

Establish and publish objective criteria that must be met to keep your licence

Senior only lanes akin to bike lanes

Should we continue to let elderly people drive?

Comments on this story (67)

Jan 21, 2010

Should there be stricter rules for yanking the car keys from elderly drivers?

We seem to have no problem penalizing young male drivers – regardless of their driving record – with huge insurance fees. The industry uses statistics, and statistics indicate that this group of drivers is most likely to be involved in accidents resulting in claims.

But as our population rapidly ages, the numbers are changing.

According to Canadian Institutes of Health Research, drivers 16 to 20 have more than 1 1/2 times the average number of claims, both at-fault as not-at-fault, while those 30 to 65 have lower-than-average at-fault claims. The rate of at-fault claims starts rising at about age 70, hitting 2 1/2 the average for those 81-plus.

But as in any discussion with so many variables, answers are elusive. While lack of driving experience and risk-taking are the bugaboos for the younger drivers, health issues come into play with older drivers. And many of those issues stem from a decreased ability to gauge one's own actions.

A family physician I know sighs heavily when I ask her about a doctor's role in this.

"We are mandated to report when we feel cognitive skills have slipped, or there is physical impairment such as arthritis or visual problems that will inhibit a driver's ability to drive. We also have to closely watch for drug interactions, and recommend licence suspension when we know they just can't drive safely."

This makes perfect sense. Right?

She continues: "But I've had patients melt down in my office. Threatening me and arguing I'm destroying their life. And you can't always get the family onside, because nobody wants to be the bad guy. I've had patients report me to the College (of Physicians and Surgeons), leave my practice and I've had patients stop coming in for ailments they fear will result in losing their licence. There has to be a better way, for them, for the safety of the public, and for me."

Many older drivers have a lifetime of road experience that serves them well. Many opt to stop driving at night, or on the busier highways. But what if those most at risk of collision quite simply can't understand they shouldn't be on the road because their cognitive ability is impaired by something like Alzheimer's or drug interactions?

I heard from a police officer last year who asked for suggestions on getting his 83-year-old father to hang up the keys. He and his brother, a doctor, were met with total resistance when they tried. If these two in their respective professions felt helpless, what are other citizens to do to protect those they love?

My mother handed over her keys to us voluntarily. Though her illness took her through hills and valleys of well-being, she no longer felt confident that her skills were up to the total concentration and responsiveness required to drive safely. She announced she was a passenger. My father, on the other hand, argued and cursed at us. We still took the keys; as a family we had a relay in place to support my parents' loss of mobility.

Not a single one of us has a right to drive. It is a privilege, and daily we put our trust in each other to recognize that.

Lorraine Sommerfeld's column appears Saturdays in Wheels and Mondays in the Star's Living section.

www.lorraineonline.ca