SASKATOON – Police have located two missing elderly men who went missing while driving in Saskatchewan.
Seventy-eight-year-old Orest Zabinsky was found alive Thursday morning after running his car off Zimmerman Road into a slough southeast of Saskatoon.
He managed to get his vehicle out and when police found him he was driving on the road. The Saskatoon Police Service says Zabinsky had numerous health issues.
A second senior, 92-year-old James Maxwell, was last seen north of Earl Grey, Saskatchewan. He too was located safe but had driven more than 200 kilometres north to the village of Prud’homme, Saskatchewan.
His family told police they were concerned he may not know where he was and could have been confused.
These two incidents have raised questions as to what age the elderly should be allowed behind the wheel.
SGI says it relies on reports from physicians and optometrists to decide whether people should drive and it isn’t dependant on their age.
“We treat all drivers regardless of age the same and it’s based on people’s physical and cognitive abilities, based on a medical condition,” said Sandy Crighton, driver program manager.
In other provinces like Alberta and BC, once drivers approach the ages of 75 and 80 it’s a requirement to provide a medical report in order to renew their license. In Ontario, drivers over the age of 80 must re-sit a driving test, but no such regulations exist in Saskatchewan.
“I’m not a real fan of putting arbitrary ages to how somebody should drive or how long they should drive because people are different I guess I can only stress that it’s got to do with cognitive ability and hopefully if the family or the physician would come forward if they do have a person that they believe should be re-tested I think that’s probably the most prudent way to deal with it,” said Police Chief Clive Weighill.
“I think still that statistically you would see the age group 17 to 24 is probably the one that causes the most concern for us,” he added.
SGI says it has considered regulations for seniors in the past but believes the current system works.
“There are gaps in any program and in fact our program has been rated as one of the better programs,” said Crighton.
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