Abstract
BackgroundFrom 1999 to the end of 2006, older drivers aged 80 plus in New Zealand were subject to an older driver licence test as a condition of licensing. The impact of this test has not yet been studied in terms of the safety and mobility of older people.MethodsThree main data sources were analysed to provide evidence of changes in older driver travel mode choice, licensing rates and injuries: New Zealand Travel Survey data, licensing data and police-reported crash data.ResultsGeneral trends towards higher levels of motorised mobility were apparent for this group over the 20 years studied, but without an obvious change at the points in time when the test was either introduced or removed as a general requirement of licensure. There were also no apparent changes in the levels of pedestrian activity or road injury involving drivers in this age group.ConclusionsAlong with other relevant studies comparing older driver licensing policies across different jurisdictions, this study does not support the generalised use of on-road testing as an assessment mechanism for all older drivers.
Highlights
From 1999 to the end of 2006, older drivers aged 80 plus in New Zealand were subject to an older driver licence test as a condition of licensing
In New Zealand, an older driver on-road driving test was introduced in 1999, which, together with certification of medical fitness, was a biennial requisite of driver licensing for drivers aged 80 and over
From 2007 onwards, drivers at age 75, 80 and every two years after that were still required to obtain a medical certificate from their general practitioner (GP), who could make the following recommendations: the patient is medically fit to drive without conditions imposed; the patient is medically fit to drive with specified conditions; the patient is medically fit to drive but must undergo an on-road driving test; the patient requires further specialist assessment before they can be deemed medically fit to drive; the patient is not medically fit to drive
Summary
From 1999 to the end of 2006, older drivers aged 80 plus in New Zealand were subject to an older driver licence test as a condition of licensing. The impact of this test has not yet been studied in terms of the safety and mobility of older people. The driving test was failed if the driver committed major errors (e.g., failure to stop or maintain vehicle position in the lane) or a combination of more minor errors. This test has been shown to provide some predictive value for crash involvement: a study showed that failures. Under the new licensing system (from 2007 onwards), these drivers would presumably still be driving unless identified by their GP as being unsafe
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