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OPEN LETTER to RTA and NSW GOVERNMENT
regarding
PROPOSALS TO CHANGE LICENSING OF OLDER DRIVERS
The proposals are:
1) Reduce age for annual medical testing from 80 to 75.
2) A 10 km radius restriction to be placed on all drivers at age 85.
3) A “home to town” restriction to be placed on drivers 85 years of age and over in rural areas. To pass a driving test would be required to remove or modify the radius restriction.
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Why should older people be penalised? And for what? Younger people cause many more accidents by driving without any consideration for others. Take for example all the police chases after young people driving much above speed limits and colliding with anybody and anything, causing serious damage and death.
Aging is individual. A 90 year old can be much better than a 70 years old. Did you hear about the 91 years old lady who participated in the “City to Surf” race this year?
Any radius restriction would be very unfair because ALL people are different from others as to their abilities and as to their geographic positions as well as other circumstances.
Automatically by nature we become more cautious and avoid risk taking when we get older. Self preservation in other words. This fact reduces accident risks instead of increasing them.
Younger people are much less cautious.
Other states in Australia have not planned any rules of this nature. If they were to be introduced in NSW – what consequences can that lead to? People leaving NSW? And what about driving in different states? What about increased costs for Police supervision of additional legislation? More “red tape”.
Compare other countries. I have in this respect made a random investigation of the situation in England, Switzerland, Canada, South Africa, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Germany.
In these countries there are no age restrictions anywhere. You get your licence at for instance age 18 and you use it until you die. In Germany you do not even change your photograph at any time!
In these countries there is no higher accident frequency than in Australia.
If the discussed changes should be accepted here, it would mean a step backward instead of forward. It would mean problems instead of solutions. It wuld also mean additional headaches for you.
And the NSW Government would lose voters, which some may see as a good thing of course!
If RTA and the NSW Government give these proposals a miss they would hear a loud sigh of relief from a big part of a loyal population and you would save yourself from a lot of unnecessary trouble.
I suggest that these proposals should be written off and filed away. Your confirmation of this would be very much appreciated.
Ragnar Pahlman
Ph.D. Political Science
Lawyer
I welcome your balanced and well thought out COMMENTS, either supporting or not supporting, and I will publish them on the Comments Page.
Your balanced and well thought out Comments will be published as long as you declare your FULL Name and the Town you live in. Your Name & Town will be posted with your Comments.
Your Comments will need to be non abusive and related to my article.
I reserve the right not to post inappropriate material.
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