In his five-year career as a driving instructor, Rob Carey has only suggested surrendering a licence to two seniors.
“It’s very rare you’ll see an older person doing something wrong, but you do see it and then they get stereotyped into it. Or, ‘Oh they’re doing 50 km/h,’ but that’s the speed limit,” said the Valley Driving School instructor.
He said ICBC wants drivers to see, think, and do – see something, think about it, and then react to it.
The most common mistake Carey sees drivers making is not abiding by the speed limit.
“Not stopping at the stop sign, not stopping at red lights before turning, not considering if there’s something there,” he said.
Carey calls it “rush brain,” a term he’s coining to describe when a driver is focused on cutting the time of their drive as short as possible – even when they’re only saving seconds, he explained.
“If we are doing the speed limit, it does afford us the time to react to anything and be able to stop in time… it takes a second for our brain to tell our hands and feet what to do.”
He even suggested that “rush hour” not be called such anymore because it implies speed.
On the other hand, Carey finds it’s easier to teach new drivers to follow good driving habits because they have no experience. By having them practise from the get-go, they will hopefully hang on to good and safe habits.
A challenge with older drivers is having bad habits that have been developed over decades, because habits are hard to break. But speed isn’t the common issue Carey sees with senior drivers.
“I find that they are so set in their ways that there are no shoulder checks, although they might be doing the speed limit, they might not look behind them,” he said.
For the two senior drivers who Carey recommended surrendering their licences, one wasn’t shoulder checking and the other didn’t realize they hit a curb twice before Carey began correcting the steering wheel.
At least one of them said they would surrender their licence the next day.
Carey shared that he thinks drivers caught speeding should have harsher punishments, such as a new driver goes back to a learner’s licence, or a Class 5 driver goes back to a new driver’s status.
He did praise the program’s changes since he took his driver’s test 40 years ago, including the no-tolerance policy for alcohol.
Only under rare and unique circumstances will age play a part in a driver’s licence being revoked.
Leanne Cassap with Langley ICBC explained that the Enhanced Road Assessment most often comes from the recommendation of a physician.
She said it is only an assessment, which is mandatory for those 80 years of age or older to take every two years. Failure to take the ERA will result in cancellation of one’s driver’s licence.
Results are sent to RoadSafe BC, and if any traffic violations, dangerous actions, or other safety concerns were reported during the ERA, a learner’s licence is issued while RoadSafe BC reviews the file further.
The assessment includes a pre-trip vehicle orientation and a 45-minute drive, followed by a post-trip review.
Carey said driving lessons aren’t necessary for everyone, but encouraged for those who want to check in on their bad habits. He recommends asking a loved one to be a passenger and note any safety concerns during a drive.
Other things he recommends to older drivers are to practice exercises for their upper back, shoulders, and neck to ensure mobility doesn’t become an issue for shoulder checking.
He also noted that some medications can affect cognitive focus, awareness, and/or reaction time, so he suggests drivers go over the side effects with a doctor in case that’s having an impact.
For those who can no longer drive or who choose to surrender their licence, there are various options to get around the Langleys, including public transportation and HandyDart.
Additionally, the Langley Senior Resources Society has volunteers who offer transportation to appointments and grocery shopping help. Seniors can arrange this service by calling 604-530-3020, extension 305 or 306.
People wanting to learn more about the ERA can visit icbc.com/driver-licensing/re-exam.
