The discussion over whether or not to impose a mandatory driving fitness assessment for elderly motorists continues, despite the government having indicated that there were no plans to implement such a move, which proponents say would help reduce the rate of accidents.
Last week, deputy transport minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah said that the government is not looking to require additional medical examinations for the renewal of private driving licences, including for motorists aged 70 years and above, saying that findings from studies and international analyses showed that there is no conclusive evidence that introducing mandatory age-based medical examinations would significantly reduce the accident rate.
Road safety experts have been asked about the topic, and now, the police has given its views on the matter. According to Bukit Aman traffic investigation and enforcement department director Commissioner Datuk Seri Muhammed Hasbullah Ali, any proposal to require mandatory health or cognitive assessments for senior citizens should be backed by scientific evidence, The Star reports.
While road safety remained the police force’s top priority, and any measure capable of improving safety for all road users deserved due consideration, he said that any approach, if adopted, must be fair, balanced and non-discriminatory, focusing on an individual’s ability to drive safely rather than on age alone.
“Such proposals should be comprehensively assessed based on accident statistics, scientific evidence, international best practices and feedback from relevant stakeholders,” he told the publication.
He said that no policy decision has been made to make health or cognitive screening compulsory for elderly drivers who wanted to renew their driving licence, but should a formal proposal ever come about, PDRM would contribute enforcement findings, accident analysis data and professional assessment viewpoints to assist the government in making the best decision for road safety, adding that the issue would also require the views of the health ministry.
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