KUCHING, Sept 25: Sarawak Gerontology and Geriatrics Society (SGGS) opines that it is unfair for the police to propose limiting the issuance of motor vehicle licenses to senior citizens.
Its president Dennis Tan said the proposal, if approved by the Federal government, would be unfair to senior citizens as there are no statistics from the police to show that they are among the main contributors to road accidents in the country.
“It is our belief that most road accidents are caused by young people driving recklessly, overtaking along narrow roads, speeding or beating traffic lights or even when they are drunk.
“We also feel that it is too much to single out senior citizens to undergo medical check-up and get the doctor’s confirmation of their health conditions before they can be issued with the licences.
“We feel that suffering from health issues, such as blurred vision, is not a reason to stop them from renewing the licences. Blurred vision can be rectified by putting on a pair of glasses, just like anyone else having sight problems.
“If such conditions are to be imposed on senior citizens, then it should also apply equally to younger people as there are many of them having similar health issues,” he said in a statement today.
He also mentioned that senior citizens know when to stop driving vehicles, like when they are having health conditions such as Alzheimer’s or other serious illnesses.
“Many senior citizens, even at the age of 70 years and above, are still healthy and actively contributing to society in their own way.
“Instead of going after senior citizens, the police should go after mentally sick persons, substance abusers and repeated traffic offenders as they are more likely to cause road accidents than senior citizens,” he added.
On Sept 24, Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department director Datuk Azisman Alias, in a statement quoted by Bernama, had said they have proposed to the government to limit the issuance of Motor Vehicle Licences to senior citizens.
He said this was because the health condition of senior citizens could be a factor that contributed to road accidents.
He was also reported to have said that senior citizens needed to undergo a medical check-up and get a doctor’s approval confirming that they were fit to drive.
He had claimed that as people age, they are more likely to suffer from health conditions such as Alzheimer’s and blurred vision which could indirectly cause accidents on the road. — DayakDaily
