Re: Driving under the influence of age (News, April 12)
It’s one thing to voluntarily give up driving and another to be forced by the bureaucracy.
A tougher test for seniors is now an ICBC policy. After a spell in hospital in September a doctor, not my physician, told me, as I was being checked out, not to drive.
Several months later I received a letter from ICBC informing me that due to a medical report I had to have a check-up and a driving test.
I learned that doctors can now, without warning, ask the medical association for a patient to be tested. It went into effect in November. There was nothing about my illness that affected my senses or my ability to drive. I was OK’d to drive by my own doctor and was subsequently called in for a driving test.
I was checked out by a driving school then tested with some failures and told to come back. I went to another driving school for a check out, was declared a good driver and took my test.
My test was full of “minor” incidents. I feel that’s discrimination due to age and therefore have voluntarily turned in my licence as a lost cause.
I’ve been a driver for over 70 years with only a couple of minor accidents. I live with a handicapped wife and have been doing the shopping and other errands.
Les Saul
Saanich