Not for the first time, the police has proposed that a closer look be taken at how to address road safety with regards to older drivers aged 61 and above, given the high number of fatalities involving the group in road mishaps over a six-year period. The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) said that based on crash traffic data it had, 19,812 drivers in this age bracket were involved in road accidents between 2019 and 2014. Of these, 6,733 were recorded as fatalities, while 2,132 sustained serious injuries and 10,947 suffered minor injuries. These statistics have prompted the force to call for a study on how the issue of road safety among older drivers can be addressed, as Utusan Malaysia reports. However, Bukit Aman traffic investigation and enforcement department (JSPT) director Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri stated that the aim of this was not to stop senior citizens from driving, but to have a mechanism to assess the health of older road users so that the roads remain safe for everyone. He added that the approach should be balanced with an assessment of a person’s health and driving ability, rather than being based solely on age. “Age is not an obstacle to prudent driving, but the JSPT believes that safety involving elderly drivers must be taken into account,” he said. Mohd Yusri said that it was important for all stakeholders to carry out a comprehensive study on the issue before any decision is made, primarily by the transport ministry. “We understand that stopping this group from driving is not easy due to cultural factors in Malaysia. Some use their vehicles to go to the surau, pick up grandchildren from school and so on,” he said. The latest call to look into the matter follows on that made by the department in 2021, when it proposed that special conditions be imposed to limit the issuance of driving licences (LMM) to senior citizens and requiring them to undergo a doctor’s examination to ensure they were healthy to drive. It was suggested that elderly drivers should only be allowed to renew their licences provided they receive a confirmation from a doctor stating that they were mentally and physical capable to drive, and that the licence renewal period for elderly drivers should be shortened. However, nothing came out of it, although the Malaysian institute of road safety research (MIROS) mirrored the call last year for senior citizens aged 65 and above to undergo a competency and health assessment before their licences can be renewed. This eventually resulted in rumours stating that physical examinations would be imposed on elderly drivers before they were allowed to renew their LMM, prompting the road transport department (JPJ) to state that such a claim was untrue, and that no added requirements were being imposed on elderly drivers when renewing their LMM. Do you agree with the suggestion made by the police, and do you think that some measures need to be introduced with regards to this? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
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