Contrary to OECD research and policy analysis documented in the report " Ageing and Transport: Mobility Needs and Safety Issues 2001 ", the LTSA proposes punitive systems to limit elder access to driver licenses.
This report is based on a detailed analysis of New Zealand "older Driver policy" formation and a review of OECD comparative research on Ageing and Transport.
New Zealand policy documents show that the LTSA has constructed an elder 'risk' and liability climate through the application of a distance-travelled formula that reconstructs actual statistics.
Neither the Transport Select Committee nor the Price Waterhouse Coopers Review have considered the legitimacy of the formula use.
The OECD warns that the use of such distance formula presents "methodological difficulties'.
In addition the OECD claims that these methods are complex, unreliable and 'over estimate
risk'.
The result is a projected view of aged driver incompetence not validated in actual
data. Furthermore, the OECD is clear in its promotion of efforts to increase safety by a raft
of methods that compliment the primary need to enable safe elder mobility and improve public
attitudes to older drivers.
Assumptions have been made by the LTSA regarding incapacity and ageing, based on outmoded
biomedical views of 'decrepit old age'. The policy directions are 'governed' by an ideology
of ageing recreation an aged identify based on a past social construction of age.
Further,
little account of gender or ethnic difference has been applied.
Restrictive and costly frequent testing regimes have alienated elder New Zealanders. Old people are not only outraged and fearful. Most discuss the very high level of anxiety associated with testing and the continued disrespect with which they are treated.
The policy context issues are:
LTSA reports show little evidence of cross-policy analysis to meet complex ageing socio-economic challenges. The consequences for mobility reduction in existing and proposed rule changes, increasing test severity and cost, are immeasurable. Health budget implications are extreme and civic or social life potentially fraught. Reduced mobility affects intergenerational family and community support mechanisms including traditional elder cultural roles reducing social cohesion.
It is a socio-economic imperative that elders do not become marginalised, or forced to be further dependent on government or community resources.
The risk calculations are based on a distance-travelled ratio. Older people travel 3-5 km on average in any trip, however, this distance is extrapolated to 100,000 km distorting reality.
Compared to
young drivers who travel more often, with speed and alcohol, over longer distances, on
highways elders travel in known neighborhoods with a lifetime of experience.
They are
known to self-moderate according to conditions.
Most accidents occur at intersections,
also caused by other factors.
These driver safety, frailty, trauma and data issues are common to OECD countries. What is uncommon is the attitude that prevails to set the climate for the treatment of elders in New Zealand through transport policies .
In particular the harsh approach to older driver testing and licencing is outmoded and economically, socially and statistically ill founded.
The cumulative cost of licensing, and testing for two yearly interval renewal, including an approximate medical and optical test ($40.00) according to Price Waterhouse Coopers, given no retests for a ten year period, is $799.50. The cost to other wage-earning age groups is $44.50 for the same period.
The OECD emphasis is that existing stereotypes and prejudices towards older drivers must be overcome to set in place a sound, well researched, strategic policy direction
People prefer to drive themselves safely. Testing regimes need to be focussed towards those at risk to assist, inform, educate and rehabilitate, to enable continued mobility without age barriers.
Safety includes safe cars, road environments, pedestrian places, and access to public transport.
1 The current proposed older driver rule changes do not proceed.
2 Transport policy and legislative processes are:
Carole Gordon is a member of Grey Power New Zealand Federation Board.
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