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Grey Power has been lobbying for a change to the inconsistent ways in which GPs are assessing Seniors for Driving Licence renewals around the country. Many seniors are facing stressful testing with cognitive tests that test their memory, rather than their driving ability. Medical experts have demonstrated that these tests are not good predictors of driving ability when forced on all those seeking a licence renewal at age 75, and the every 2 years from age 80.
A Radio NZ Nine to Noon interview, on the 30th April, with Dr Alexander Crizzle, who has extensively researched the value of cognitive tests to predict practical driving skills, concluded that they were a poor predictor, and that many of those who failed would have passed a practical driving assessment. Dr Crizzle is Director of the Driving Simulation Laboratory, School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan, and has published extensively on these issues.
Click here to read more on the interview.
David Marshall, Acting-President of Grey Power Federation, said that “We have been swamped with requests for interviews, as well as receiving over 100 responses from our membership on the challenging experiences they have encountered in the journey to renew their licences.
Grey Power welcome NZTA’s imminent draft review of “Medical Aspects of Fitness to Drive” and will advocate to ensure there is greater clarity and guidance to GPs on what is required when assessing a patient’s capacity to continue driving.