We’ve all seen that invisible driver on the roads before. A tuft of gray hair can be seen over the dashboard and a pair of hazy blue eyes on the road. The car is swaying back and forth, and it appears that the vehicle has no driver at all. The car then passes right on the highway, nearly hitting a car to make this risky maneuver. Before you honk your horn and scream at the driver, you realize that it’s an old lady driving her Chrysler 300, her perm freshly done, applying her bright red lipstick in the rearview mirror. A motor vehicle accident could have easily occurred, but this sweet lady clearly meant no harm. So you ask yourself: how does a doctor determine when a senior driver’s license must be reviewed?
The Doctor’s Opinion
It is the doctor’s duty to report a person who has a medical condition that affects their ability to drive safely. However, the line between being a danger to others on the roads and being perfectly fit to drive is a blurry one. If a doctor does not think that the person they are assessing will be able to drive safely, they are asked to send a report on their medical condition to the Ministry of Transportation in their province. It is not a reliable system, though, because the Ministry of Transportation is usually aware of people who have had seizures in the past, but a senior with mild dementia, poor eyesight, and heart failure are less likely to be identified to the Ministry. However, it’s dangerous to let these individuals drive when they are at risk of causing motor vehicle accidents on the road due to their conditions.
The Future for Senior Drivers
The assessment that is currently offered to senior drivers renewing their driver’s license seems to allow drivers who are not consistent with their driving abilities. It is also seen that family doctors have a hard time making a decision as to whether or not a person is capable of driving when there are no obvious impairments. Doctors Redelmeier and Marshall believe that providing restricted licenses to seniors who may not be fit to drive, but are on the borderline, will limit the risk that goes along with letting these drivers continue to drive, putting other people’s lives in jeopardy. While young drivers still have the highest crash rates, the problem is that senior drivers are more likely to be killed in these motor vehicle accidents.
Hiring a Toronto Personal Injury Lawyer
There are still improvements that need to be made to the system, preventing senior drivers that should not be driving from getting their licenses renewed. Drive defensively, and if you see an older driver driving dangerously on the roads--report the vehicle, as you will be keeping everyone safer on the roads. If you are involved in an accident, and you are not the person at-fault, it can be a grueling process getting the evidence together for your case and filing your claims. A Toronto personal injury lawyer will help you through this process step-by-step and fight for the compensation that you deserve.
Sources:
http://healthydebate.ca/2015/05/topic/senior-drivers-licenses-revoked
https://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/roadsafety/cmvtcs2013_eng.pdf