On Tuesday, Regina Police confirmed that a
97-year-old man was involved in a collision in a parking lot of the 4500 block
of Albert Street, where the elderly driver reportedly thought he had put the
vehicle in park but hadn’t. The driver attempted to get back into the car, but
mistakenly hit the accelerator instead of the brake, pinning himself and two
other people in front of him.
This collision has sparked concern over the
ability of senior drivers – especially since SGI has no specific regulatory
checks for them.
Sandy Crighton, manager of driver programs
for SGI, says, “Age alone doesn’t determine whether or not somebody can drive
because we all age at different rates.”
Like all other drivers across the province,
seniors are required to renew their license every five years, and are expected
to self-report any medical conditions that may affect their driving.
SGI reports that each year, approximately 2,000
seniors are deemed unfit to drive.
Most Prairie Provinces do not have any
regulatory testing for senior drivers. Alberta, B.C., Quebec, Newfoundland, the
Yukon, and the Northwest Territories requires driver 80 and older to provide a
medical report every two years.
Comments