Sarawak Gerontology and Geriatrics Society (SGGS) president Dennis Tan said SGGS had viewed with concern the proposal to issue such licences only after the senior citizens have undergone medical check-up and get confirmation that they are fit to drive. – Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING (Sept 26): A proposal by the police to the government to limit the issue of motor vehicle licences to senior citizens has not gone down well with the Sarawak Gerontology and Geriatrics Society (SGGS).
Its president Dennis Tan said SGGS had viewed with concern the proposal to issue such licences only after the senior citizens have undergone medical check-up and get confirmation that they are fit to drive.
“We feel that the proposal, if approved by the federal government, is 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,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Those suffering from health issues such as blurred vision should not be stopped from renewing their licences because blurred vision can be rectified by putting on a pair of glasses, just like anyone else having sight problems, he added.
Tan reasoned that if such conditions are imposed on senior citizens, then it should also apply equally to younger people as many of them are having similar health issues.
“It is my belief that most road accidents in the country are caused by younger people, not senior citizens,” he said and added that many senior citizens, even at the age of 70 and above, are still healthy and actively contributing to society.
He argued that 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.
According to Bernama on September 25, 2021, Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department director Datuk Azisman Alias had said in a statement 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.
He was reported to have proposed that senior citizens needed to undergo a medical check-up and get doctor’s approval confirming that they were fit to drive.