too right

They also need 'm' plates.

mantra wrote on Jul 21^st, 2007 at 9:09am:


I've had the displeasure of riding in the car with someone who thinks they're capable of driving safely when they're not (Like those calling the radio stations, mantra). Scariest moment of my life. 

At a certain age... let's say... 65... drivers should DEFINITELY have medical checkups.

That's a big call Oceans. How would you know? Some 80 year olds probably are capable of driving, even if they should be driving a bit slower.

Bribie Island is renowned for this. It's mostly retirees. It has lots of roundabouts. The old people drive straight through them without even looking.

Would this lead to harassment of older drivers on and off the road? Would people give them more space or just get angrier at them for being on the road? Shouldn't you assume all drivers are potentially imapired?

http://news.smh.com.au/nrma-rejects-splates-for-seniors/20080120-1mzk.html

Calls to require senior drivers in NSW to display "S-plates" on their vehicles do not have the support of the NRMA, the motoring organisation says.

The plate proposal, for all drivers aged over 85, has been criticised by pensioners for making them feel like targets on the road.

"S-plates were an idea raised by some NRMA members during our community consultation on the licensing of older drivers, but it is not a notion accepted by us," Mr Evans said in a statement.

The RTA has released a discussion paper which identified major changes for the licensing of older drivers, including restricting those aged over 85 to the familiar roads within a 10km radius of their home.

The RTA received more than 24,000 submissions in response to the discussion paper, and many called for the introduction of a S-plate to identify older drivers.

Thousands of submissions also opposed any S-plate move.

Older drivers have pointed to crash statistics which show they have less accidents than younger motorists, while they also warn a S-plate could cause a spike in road rage incidents.

"S-plates give rise to harassment, if elderly drivers are marked out," Paul Versteege, of the Combined Pensioner and Superannuants Association, told Fairfax.

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Driving simulator to test older drivers

http://news.smh.com.au/driving-simulator-to-test-older-drivers/20080201-1pgy.html

A new simulator which replicates driving conditions including night, rain and fog will help accident researchers test the abilities of Australia's growing number of older drivers.

The simulator, known as the EF-X, will help researchers at Melbourne's Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) compile detailed and reliable data on the behaviour of Australian motorists.

The first major project will focus on older drivers who will undergo an eight minute simulated drive testing their skills in a range of situations such as merging, major intersections, right turns and avoiding sudden obstacles.

MUARC senior research fellow Dr Judith Charlton said the number of drivers aged 65 and over is set to double on Australian roads in the next 30 years.

"Understanding the behaviour of older drivers is crucial for determining how roads, cars, training programs, in-car technologies and government policies could make Australian roads as safe as possible for all road users," Dr Charlton said.

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Change roads to suit old drivers: study

http://news.smh.com.au/change-roads-to-suit-old-drivers-study/20080318-207b.html

The nature of road accidents will change as Australia's population ages, with more crashes caused by delayed reactions rather than risk taking, new research has found.

Queensland University of Technology's Dr Mark King will present a new approach to road safety at a conference in Brisbane next week.

Dr King said ways to make roads safer for older drivers included improving road signs and increasing the number of intersection traffic lights with right turn arrows.