Older drivers killed 145 people in five years, but debate still rages over annual medical tests

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Older motorists person been liable for astatine slightest 145 roadworthy deaths and much than 7000 injuries implicit the past 5 years, with the state’s rapidly ageing operator colonisation prompting calls for mandatory aesculapian checks.

Unlike NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and the ACT, Victoria does not necessitate drivers aged 75 and implicit to person an yearly aesculapian appraisal to clasp their licence.

Hugh Roberts, who was deed by a car driven by an 87-year-old driver, and his parents Meiko (back left) and Alex.

The Victorian Victims of Crime Commissioner, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and a Melbourne household whose lad was deed by an 87-year-old operator are calling for this to change.

“This is not astir discriminating against older people, but a designation that the skills that are required to thrust safely tin beryllium mislaid arsenic we get older,” said the college’s Victoria chair, Dr Anita Muñoz.

Victoria Police information obtained by The Age shows that 145 radical person died and 7080 injured by roadworthy incidents caused by radical aged implicit 65. This property radical comprises astir 20 per cent of licence holders, up from 16 per cent a decennary ago.

The mean property of Victorian motorists has accrued by 9 years during this play to basal astatine conscionable implicit 50 years old.

About two-thirds of those killed (97 fatalities) and conscionable implicit one-quarter (1868) of those injured were the at-fault older driver, according to information which spans from July 2018 to June 2023. The remainder were different drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists.

Meiko and Alex Roberts are calling for greater checks for aged motorists aft their teenage son, Hugh, was deed by an older operator erstwhile helium was lasting astatine an intersection successful Mount Waverley, successful Melbourne’s east, successful 2022.

Hugh, who was 17 astatine the time, flew into the air, mislaid consciousness and was taken to The Alfred hospital, wherever doctors performed a craniotomy to region unit connected his brain. He present has titanium plates successful his head, scars from his 19 stitches and ongoing fatigue.

After the accident, Hugh suffered representation nonaccomplishment and fatigue. He discontinue his extracurricular activities and wasn’t capable to instrumentality to schoolhouse afloat clip for 7 months. Hugh’s parents accidental the clang wounded his VCE performance, delaying his imagination of becoming a doctor.

“It was each due to the fact that of that anserine accident. His beingness was wholly messed up due to the fact that of this aged feline driving crazily,” said his mother, Meiko.

The aged operator was charged with careless driving, mislaid his licence, and was fined $200 and enactment connected a 12-month bully behaviour bond. Hugh’s parents accidental the complaint and punishment were insufficient.

“He shouldn’t person been driving,” said Hugh’s father, Alex. “Maybe determination are 87-year-olds who tin thrust safely, but you would privation to person that checked.”

There were 247 deaths and 16,265 injuries caused by crashes connected Victorian roads past fiscal year, with drivers aged 65 and implicit liable for astir 10 per cent of these incidents.

Victorian motorists are required to notify VicRoads of immoderate serious, imperishable oregon semipermanent illness, aesculapian information oregon disablement that whitethorn hinder their quality to thrust safely.

But geriatrician Dr Kate Gregorevic is acrophobic that this does not ever occur.

Stitches successful Hugh Roberts’ caput aft being deed by a car successful August 2022.

“It makes maine precise tense arsenic a clinician due to the fact that it is up to the diligent to enactment connected my proposal and notify VicRoads,” she said.

Gregorevic said telling aged patients they could nary longer thrust was the happening she disliked astir astir her job. It tin harm her narration with patients, and trigger a fiery response.

“While astir radical understand, immoderate radical get precise angry. Being capable to thrust represents their state and independence,” she said, portion besides calling for yearly aesculapian and driving assessments for older drivers.

While doctors tin study a diligent to VicRoads if they judge they won’t perceive to their advice, Gregorevic said this was unfastened to mentation and families were besides tense astir approaching the taxable with their loved ones.

Police, assemblage members, household and friends tin besides anonymously study motorists if they are acrophobic that their aesculapian information oregon disablement is negatively affecting their driving.

Muñoz said yearly aesculapian checks for older drivers would assistance patients recognise erstwhile their wellness conditions mightiness beryllium impairing their driving.

She said ageing could impact the senses needed to thrust safely specified arsenic absorption times, imaginativeness and hearing.

But Chris Potaris, the main enforcement of Council connected the Ageing Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria, labelled mandatory driving tests for older motorists “ageist and arbitrary”.

“We proceed to enactment Victoria’s approach, which emphasises a driver’s behaviour and aesculapian fittingness to run a centrifugal vehicle,” helium said. “Driving should beryllium based connected ability, not connected age.”

He said mandatory investigating could pb to further costs for motorists which mightiness effect successful older radical stopping driving earlier they were ready. This could substance societal isolation and effect successful Victorians entering residential aged attraction earlier they wanted to, Potaris said.

National Seniors Australia main enforcement Chris Grice would similar to spot a nationally consistent, evidence-based attack to the licensing of older motorists.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir has urged older radical to show their driving ability.

“Keeping harmless connected the roads should beryllium the precedence and the work of each drivers, careless of age,” helium said.

He acknowledged that immoderate older Australians believed that the imposition of an yearly trial was discriminatory, and pointed retired that galore younger drivers besides had crashes.

He said immoderate determination to present mandatory investigating indispensable beryllium balanced with strategies to guarantee older radical who tin nary longer thrust person enactment to stay mobile, connected and arsenic autarkic arsenic possible. Grice said this mightiness impact providing escaped nationalist transport for seniors, arsenic is the lawsuit successful South Australia.

Victorian Victims of Crime Commissioner Fiona McCormack supports mandatory aesculapian checks for older drivers.

“Any improvements successful standards and systems that spare families the unending trauma of losing a loved 1 is simply a affirmative thing,” she said.

VicRoads assesses astir 90,000 drivers of each ages for their fittingness to thrust each year, with astir 30 per cent of these assessments involving drivers aged 75 and above.

Around 12 per cent of reviews effect successful suspensions, though VicRoads does not cod information connected the property of those suspended.

The fig of caller notifications from acrophobic individuals and the assemblage accrued to 31,600 past fiscal year, up from 24,000 successful 2019-20.

Victims of Crime Commissioner Fiona McCormack.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner (Road Policing) Glenn Weir urged older radical to show their driving quality to guarantee they were not putting themselves oregon others astatine hazard connected the road.

“Police besides promote families and friends to person a speech if they’re acrophobic astir a loved one’s quality to thrust safely,” helium said.

A Department of Transport spokeswoman said Victoria’s licensing strategy was based connected nationalist fittingness to thrust guidelines which addressed age-related carnal and intelligence changes that mightiness impact driving.

“There is nary compelling grounds that demonstrates mandatory age-based appraisal is much effectual than aforesaid oregon community-based referral into our existent aesculapian reappraisal system,” she said.

VicRoads figures amusement much than 993,000 radical aged 65 and implicit had a Victorian driver’s licence aboriginal this year, comprising astir 20 per cent of full licence holders. Ten years ago, this property radical accounted for 15.8 per cent of licence holders.

People aged 75 and implicit present relationship for 8 per cent of Victorian registered drivers, portion 1.6 per cent are 85 and over.

More than 331,000 radical aged 75 to 84 person a licence, a fig up 64 per cent implicit a decade. A further 81,164 radical aged 85 and implicit person their licence, an summation of 47 per cent.