Information on Safe with Age Courses

Session One highlights the problems faced by road users and includes a 30 minute video which offers driving and walking rules and safety tips.
Session Two explores coping strategies for older drivers.

The course is designed so that it can be tailored, depending on the audience, attending the course.
There is also opportunity to `add on' relevant information as appropriate - for example if a group of 80+ drivers were attending the course, additional time could be spent preparing for the older driver test.

All participants in the course receive a workbook and an information sheet that can be used as a reference to remind them of coping strategies as their circumstances change. They also receive a copy of Positive Guide for Mature Road Users, the content of which is also referred to regularly throughout the course.

At the end of the course, participants are presented with an attractive certificate.
The course itself is free but participants may be asked to give a small gold coin donation to cover costs.

Currently most participants hear about Safe with Age through a friend or relative or by picking up a flyer at the local library or doctors' surgery.
In terms of providing up to date information to Grey Power members about registering for the Safe with Age course, because it is run by volunteer groups, there is a large turnover in course facilitators.
This makes it very difficult to maintain an accurate and up to date nation-wide register of Safe with Age facilitators.

Given this, members wanting to find out about Safe with Age courses in their area, should contact the nearest Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) regional office (a list of phone numbers is below) and speak to one of the Regional Education Advisers who will be happy to help.
LTSA Regional Office phone numbers.

• Auckland Phone 09 969 9800
• Hamilton Phone 07 958 7840
• Napier Phone 06 974 5520
• Palmerston North Phone 06 953 6296 '
• Wellington Phone 04 931 8900
• Christchurch Phone 03 964 2866
• Dunedin Phone 03 951 3009

Driver assessment information sheet

An explanatory document has been developed to clarify and explain the two processes. A copy of this is availble from the LTSA.

Driver assessment project

Customer service training initiative for driver testing officers

New Zealand Driver Licensing, the agent contracted by the LTSA to deliver driver testing services nation-wide, has made an ongoing commitment to improve customer service. We hope this new customer service focus will reduce older drivers' complaints about testing officers in the future.

Health Screen for Drivers update

Safe with Age

LTSA Answers to queries concerning older drivers' tests (revised May 2004)

Answer - No. The current situation is that when an older driver takes a test in an automatic, they are only licensed to drive an automatic, but if they take their test in a car with a manual transmission, they can drive both.

A proposal to change this, which was consulted on under the Driver Licensing Rule, is being considered. It would allow an older driver to drive any car regardless of whether they were tested in an automatic or manual.

If a person drives a manual transmission vehicle when they have an `automatic only' licence, they are violating the conditions of their licence and could receive an infringement offence of $400 and 25 demerit points.

If an older driver is uncertain whether they will need to drive a manual or automatic car in the future, then they may wish to ensure that the take the driving test driving a manual car.
This would allow them to driver both manual and automatic transmission cars.

Query - Some people do not wish to make formal complaints about Older Driver Test examiners, especially to the agency where the test was taken for fear of reprisals when they have to return for a re-sit or for the next test in two years time. Is there any way of allaying their fears?

Answer - The LTSA can not do anything about problems with testing officers if no formal complaint is made. The older driver does not have to complain at that office; they can ask for a complaint form from any licensing agent's office and post it in.
Alternatively, they can fill out the special form provided to Grey Power branches by the LTSA, and post it directly to the LTSA's Head Office.
All specific complaints about the older driver test will be investigated.

Query - Should people who fail their driving test because their car is not in a warrantable state be charged for their second test?

Answer - Before the Older Driver Test, a pre-test vehicle inspection is carried out. The Predrive Check is carried out by the Testing Officer and the candidate to ensure that all safety items are in a roadworthy state.

The pre-test vehicle check is carried out by you and the testing officer before you do any driving. If the vehicle is not roadworthy the test will not proceed.
The following areas will be checked:

• Body work: There is no obvious damage that could be considered dangerous.
• Tyres and wheels: The tyres have a legal tread depth and no uneven wear, the wheel nuts are intact where visible and the wheels appear undamaged. The vehicle is sitting square to the road, indicating all tyres have equal or close to equal pressure.
• Indicators and brake lights: The indicators, tail lights and brake lights operate correctly and all lenses are intact. '
• Headlights: The high and low beams operate and the lenses are intact.
• Windscreen washers and wipers: The washers and wipers operate satisfactorily.
• Horn: The horn operates satisfactorily.
• Registration: The vehicle registration, licensing and Warrant of Fitness are current (as well as the Road User Charges label, if it is a diesel vehicle).
• Driver posture: Seat, mirrors and seatbelts are checked for position an comfort

Regarding the costs of testing, when booking for the test, the older driver pays $18.30 to relicense (the cost of processing an application) and $41 for the driving test (the cost running the test).

An older driver is eligible for one free re-test regardless of the reason they have failed, e.g. vehicle not up to warrant or didn't score well enough, or test terminated for any reason.
Therefore if they choose to rebook they pay nothing.
If they do not pass the second time and they rebook they pay $41 for each time they retake the test (but not the $18.30 re-licensing fee)

Medical assessment of fitness to drive

The following are circumstances when licence applicants require a medical certificate from their GP stating that they are medically fit to drive before they can renew their drivers licence:

• Professional drivers renewing commercial endorsements;
• Persons with certain medical conditions (e.g. stroke, diabetes, epilepsy, locomotor disorders) that has affected their ability to drive safely;
• Older drivers from age 75, 80, 82, and two yearly thereafter.

Obtaining the medical certificate

• vision defects;
• cardiovascular disease;
• cerebro-vascular accidents (strokes);
• mental capacity (cognition);
• acute diabetes (hypoglycaemia);
• osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis;
• medications.

The Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) has produced and distributed a booklet entitled Medical Aspects of Fitness to Drive to all GPs, which describes the most common medical conditions that may affect a person's ability to drive safely.

GPs are required (part 7 & 13 of Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Rule 1999) to consider Medical Aspects of Fitness to Drive when conducting a medical examination to ascertain if an individual is fit to drive.

At the conclusion of the medical consultation, the GP must provide an opinion whether the patient is medically fit to drive the classes of vehicle for which the licence can be renewed.

The GP may recommend some specific conditions to be attached to the licence (e.g. requiring the wearing of glasses, driving during approved periods - daylight only, etc.).

If it is determined that the person is medically fit to drive, the GP signs the medical certificate form and gives it to the patient, who then takes it to the LTSA Driver Licensing Agent.

This enables the person to be eligible to renew their driver licence. Without a medical certificate, the person cannot renew their licence and it will expire at the licence expiry date.

Renewing the driver licence

• Older drivers aged 75 take the medical certificate to the licensing agent, pay their relicensing fee, and their licence is renewed for 5 years (a new photo driver licence is posted to them).
• Older drivers aged 80, 82 and two yearly thereafter, take their medical certificate to the licensing agent, pay their relicensing fee and older driver test fee, and book a time for taking their Older Driver Test. At the appointed time, the older person turns up at the required place and time, and takes their Older Driver Test.
  If they pass (95% do), their licence is renewed for a further 2 years (a new photo driver licence is posted to them). If they do not pass, they may rebook a further test (the first retest is free), and are issued a temporary licence.

GPs legal obligations

If a GP or registered optometrist gives notice under the Section 18 provisions, they will not be subject to civil or professional liability due to any disclosure of personal medical information in that notice.

Referring a person for a driving assessment

Driving assessment

What happens during the driving assessment

The off-road assessment is mandatory for all persons referred who may have neurological conditions or driving difficulties beyond physical problems. The off-road screening is a comprehensive assessment to a recognized standard.

This includes:

• a review of physical function such as range of movement; strength; sensation; co-ordination;
• vision/hearing;
• judgment;
• memory;
• directional orientation;
• impulsivity;
• reaction times;
• perception;
• knowledge of road rules and signs.

The results of this off-road assessment are considered to highly correlate with a persons' ability to drive safely on the road.

Only a person assessed as meeting the minimum safety standard set can proceed with the on-road assessment.

An on-road driving assessment further assesses the impact of disability/illness/aging on a persons' safety to drive in a situation similar to where they normally drive.
During the on-road assessment, the driver is accompanied by a specially trained driving instructor and the occupational therapist.
This assessment includes a range of driving situations such as `open road' and `city' roads, controlled and uncontrolled intersections, parking, and maneuvering.

The on-road assessment may involve 40 minutes of driving.

Driving Assessment Project

The Driving Assessment project entails:
(a) Credentialing/Accrediting Driving Assessors, and
(b) Upgrading to `best practice' a computer-based tool for driving assessment.

The `Credentialing Driving Assessors' work is to be done in conjunction with the New Zealand Association of Occupational Therapists.
It will focus on ensuring that Driving Assessors have minimum competencies, training, and appropriate credentials processes.

The 'Computer-Based Assessment Tool' work-stream will ensure that the current tool used by driving assessors is upgraded to a best practice off-road computer-based assessment tool, and is available nationally.

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