Fatal crash underscores need for rigorous tests for older taxi drivers
taxi drivers in Hong Kong and their rising accident rates have long been a concern. A fatal crash involving an 80-year-old driver this week is a case in point. His taxi mounted a hotel taxi rank in Tsuen Wan, killing a 35-year-old tourist from the Philippines. The cabby said he felt dizzy before his vehicle crashed.
The accident has sparked renewed debate about the need for rigorous health, vision and hearing tests for older drivers. As the city's population ages, more seniors need to continue working to maintain a living income, including by driving cabs and commercial vehicles. The question they face is how else they would make a living.
While many are experienced drivers, there is no defence against impairment of driving abilities through any age-related decline in health. It is recognised that apart from the increased risk of age-related medical incidents, from dizziness to heart attacks, contributing factors in accidents include diminished vision, slower reaction times and hearing loss.
Figures on accidents involving elderly taxi drivers show a sharp increase over the past two years. Those aged 70 or above had 651 accidents last year, up by more than 43 per cent compared to 2022. Cabbies in their sixties were involved in 2,021 incidents, a 40 per cent increase.
Drivers over 70 applying for or renewing licences must furnish a medical certificate at least once every three years. An expert panel suggested stepping up health checks annually from the age of 65. It is good to hear from the Transport and Logistics Bureau that the government is finalising proposals to tighten requirements. Critics may argue that rigorous testing could unfairly discriminate against capable and fit elderly drivers. In that regard, as the city ages, it is true that people are ageing better, but differently.
Every serious accident involving elderly drivers sparks the same debate. The issue has been too easily swept under the carpet. The time has come for action to set guidelines that strike a clearer balance between protecting the public and safeguarding the rights of the elderly.
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