LTO: No new rules for senior citizens getting driver’s licenses

[JJReyes]

3 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Statistically that may have merit, but if they said Black people or Gay people or any other group of people need to be tested in case they are medically unfit then that would be considered prejudiced.  Our government in BC Canada has a similar prejudice but sets the bar at age 80. 

I have noticed that a significant portion of deaths occur between ages 60 and 79.  Without a doubt those people are not medically fit to drive and yet they were licensed, without a medical, right up to their death.

Driving statistics need an asterisk and footnote explanation.  Maybe the elderly have more accidents.  There is a difference in damage between someone old driving slowly in a city street and a teenager going over the speed limit on a national road.  Responsible family members can also hide the driver's license if they suspect someone senior is no longer fit to drive.  

[hk blues]

13 minutes ago, JJReyes said:

Driving statistics need an asterisk and footnote explanation.  Maybe the elderly have more accidents.  There is a difference in damage between someone old driving slowly in a city street and a teenager going over the speed limit on a national road.  Responsible family members can also hide the driver's license if they suspect someone senior is no longer fit to drive.  

I also think additional requirements should be in place for new, younger drivers. 

[Possum]

4 minutes ago, hk blues said:

I also think additional requirements should be in place for new, younger drivers. 

Especially here in the Philippines where there is no on the road driving test and the written test has few questions pertaining to proper traffic rules and regulations.

Here's US statistics.

• Young Drivers (16-24): According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers aged 16 to 19 are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash compared to older drivers.
• Middle-Aged Drivers (25-54): This group generally has lower accident rates, but they still account for a significant number of crashes due to higher overall driving volumes.
• Older Drivers (65+): While they have lower accident rates than younger drivers, older adults are more likely to suffer severe injuries or fatalities in crashes due to frailty and health conditions.

There is a reason car rental companies don't like to rent to drivers under 25.

[Dave Hounddriver]

44 minutes ago, JJReyes said:

Maybe the elderly have more accidents. 

Yes.  I asked Google AI about that.  Here are the totally different responses I got depending how I phrased the query:

First "Senior drivers (generally aged 60-65+) in Australia can face higher car insurance premiums because insurers view them as higher-risk due to potential health-related factors"

However "Senior drivers in Australia, generally considered to be aged 60 or over, are often offered reduced car insurance premiums due to lower risk profiles."

So even Google AI does not know if senior's are higher or lower risk so feck it, lets get them all to quit driving just in case.  Me?  I wonder how to get the crazy Asian drivers off the roads here but that IS prejudice I am told.

[hk blues]

52 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Statistically, old men die before their young spouses so should they have to get some kind of medical checkup before dating a younger lady? 

Usually, we let people decide for themselves what they want to do and if they are capable of doing it, unless they are old and want to drive.  Then suddenly the government knows what is best for them. 

Most elderly people I know can decide for themselves when it is time to quit driving and feel quite put out that they have to find a doctor willing to give them a medical test for driving and pay for it themselves.  Seems like a great idea when you don't have to do it though.

The difference between the two scenarios in your post is that the old guy marrying the younger lady is not putting others at risk by his actions.  

Driving is just one example of where rules and laws exist affecting older folks - compulsory retirement ages in some occupations being but one example.  There are others which affect different age brackets.  

The idea that we should be free to do as we wish, and that we are capable of making objective decisions which negatively affect our life, is fanciful IMO.  

[Dave Hounddriver]

1 minute ago, hk blues said:

compulsory retirement ages in some occupations being but one example

We abandoned that myth in Canada.  There are no more compulsory retirement ages and it has been illegal to do that since December 15, 2012.  Sometimes people do see the light but it takes time.

[hk blues]

1 minute ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

We abandoned that myth in Canada.  There are no more compulsory retirement ages and it has been illegal to do that since December 15, 2012.  Sometimes people do see the light but it takes time.

Not entirely accurate as some occupations still have them i.e. police officers, fire fighters, military and a few others. It's almost as if they have taken into account physical and mental decline when deciding if compulsory retirement is an acceptable form of discrimination.

 

 

[JJReyes]

45 minutes ago, hk blues said:

Not entirely accurate as some occupations still have them i.e. police officers, fire fighters, military and a few others. It's almost as if they have taken into account physical and mental decline when deciding if compulsory retirement is an acceptable form of discrimination.

The compulsory retirement age for airline commercial pilots is 65 years.  It used to be 60 years until the pilot unions fought it.  I think there was also a global shortage of pilots at the time of change.  

[Possum]

37 minutes ago, JJReyes said:

The compulsory retirement age for airline commercial pilots is 65 years.  It used to be 60 years until the pilot unions fought it.  I think there was also a global shortage of pilots at the time of change.  

I'm always happy to see the gray hairs in the front on long or challenging flights. On the other hand I've had some trepidation when I've been on some commuter flights where I wondered if the pilot[s] needed burping after a meal.

[GeoffH]

8 hours ago, BrettGC said:

Not being in the age bracket yet, I've let mine slide and just kept with the PI licence.  If I ever return to Australia for an extended time, I'll transfer it back over. 

I don't have a PI license, I didn't bother for years as I was in and out of PI every few months. 

And later, when I wanted one, the local LTO has been insisting upon a 6 month validity VISA stamp (which I don't have being on a tourist visa currently).

Never needed an SRRV but we're going to go down that path but first balykbayan (will try that at LTO).