What about elderly drivers?

The Government should not neglect elderly New Zealanders in its road safety strategy, Labour Senior Citizens spokesperson Ross Robertson says.

“A lot of the focus with the Government’s new policy has been improving the skill level of young drivers but Senior Citizens could benefit from a refresher course or two,” said Ross Robertson.
“With an ageing population, where people over the age of 65 will make up 25% of the population by 2051, elderly driver concerns will soon become increasingly significant.

“It was disappointing that National scrapped the ‘Safe with Age’ driver education programme which provided driver training for New Zealanders over the age of 55.

“Older drivers get a fair amount of stick out on the roads. So why aren’t we showing a commitment to them to ensure their driving is safe?

“It seems older New Zealanders are under siege at the moment. John Key’s GST hike will hit them in the pocket, funding for hearing aids is being slashed and home support is being cut.
“Kiwis should be encouraging older New Zealanders to become more independent, but National appears to be deliberately cutting back funding for programmes for the elderly.”

ENDS

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