AGE NOT THE ONLY FACTOR IN ROAD ACCIDENTS

I STRONGLY disagree with an opinion penned by Barton Van Laar (GA 21/10) in which he is advocating mandatory testing for elderly drivers.

I draw his attention to a Road Safety Strategy Report 2012-17, the outcome of which was as follows re accident statistics: 18 to 24-yearolds 22 per cent; 50 to 59-year-olds 13 per cent; 70 to 84-year-olds

6 per cent.

I also wish he would read statistics of fatalities and it was interesting to note the majority caused by trucks or 18 to 24-yearolds involving bike accidents fatalities.

Many elderly receive a cost reduction off driving licences of 25 per cent for safe driving. Many are trusted to drive our precious grandchildren.

Unfortunately accidents can happen at any age due to many factors. One I am very aware of is the recent increase of drugaffected drivers. These are not chiefly elderly unless a doctor’s prescription is involved, which comes with a warning on the label. Most are prescribed for grief loss and loneliness; show me a pill that can cure this. Maybe we need to research the reasons for these medications as they seem to be responsible for accidents involving mistaking the brake for the accelerator. Hopefully this will be researched one day.

In 50 years we have seen wide roads in Geelong reduced by councils for high-profit carparking, plus bike paths, and leaving one lane to give 1.5-2m allowance in a single lane.

If you’re aiming at ageism for safety, may you please remember to educate cyclists on using a bell on bike paths, and not riding two abreast in the bike lanes.

It almost is beginning to feel like Holland and subtle euthanasia is becoming a reality.

Ageism is ugly – keep it off the bike paths where we have a right to walk, if our licences are at risk.

Mairee Robertson, Leopold