NRMA rejects S-plates for seniors as the campaign against restrictions heats up

NRMA has revved up its campaign to persuade the NSW Government to soften proposed licence restrictions on older drivers.

As the government moves closer to finalising its position, NRMA President Alan Evans said ongoing talks with older drivers, key stakeholders, the NSW Roads and Traffics Authority and Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal had reached a critical stage.

“We believe the RTA’s Licensing of Older Drivers Discussion Paper, released in July, did not reflect the research on older drivers nor did it take into account the impact its proposed measures would have on older drivers,” he told Open Road.

Of most concern to NRMA has been the government’s proposal to force older drivers to choose between either a restricted licence or a driving test.

Mr Evans said restricting older drivers to a 10km radius of their homes could prevent them shopping, banking, visiting family or friends, or from getting to and from hospitals and community centres.

He has also reassured older drivers that NRMA does not support S-plates for senior drivers. He said recent media reports did not accurately reflect NRMA’s position.

“S-plates were an idea raised by some NRMA Members during our community consultation on the licensing of older drivers, but it is not a notion we accept,” Mr Evans said.
  
“It is certainly not our policy, nor will it be. S-plates were not included in the NRMA’s submission to government.” (See our full position paper in response to
the RTA at: mynrma.com.au/nrma_response)

Mr Evans said NRMA understood the complexity of balancing the safety of all road users and the mobility of individuals.

“NRMA’s key principle is that age should not be the sole deciding factor when determining when an older person should stop driving or have restrictions imposed on their licence.

“Rather, the right to a driver’s licence should be determined by ability and not by age.

“NRMA’s response outlines how drivers aged 75 and over are among the most safety-aware groups on our roads, that they carefully monitor their own driving capacity and limit their driving to areas where they are comfortable.

“NRMA also believes that there is a need for the RTA to provide drivers approaching 75 years of age with more information on what they can do to improve their driving skills and more direction on the changes to their health and physical condition which might affect their driving ability.

“Such an approach has been proven to make a difference in the countries where it
has been introduced.”

NRMA is proposing a range of measures:

• More information explaining the options (brochures, website, CD, DVD, programs).
• More appropriate assessment taking into account older drivers’ self-imposed restrictions including regular driving routines, not driving at night or in peak hour.
• Better road design and signage to suit older drivers (better fonts on road signs, brighter reflective road markings, improved lighting and pedestrian crossings).
• Better options for transport/ mobility, including community transport and volunteer driver schemes.

Mr Evans said no previous NRMA campaign had generated as much correspondence from Members and the community.

As this issue of Open Road went to press, the RTA had not released its findings from the discussion paper and public submissions which closed in October.

Look out for updates in our new monthly e-zine, available online in April.

Open Road March/April 2008