We are three year 13 road users who’ve come together to spread awareness about the safety of not only elderly drivers but the safety of all road users. Our new social studies unit has allowed us to look into the law surrounding New Zealand senior citizens.

A policy within New Zealand states that once Kiwi drivers reach the age of 75, they must renew their licence and provide a medical certificate as well as undergo an eye test to continue driving on the roads. They are to renew their licence every two to five years after the age of 80.

With the increase in age expectancy we are seeing more elderly people on the roads. We want to make the required age to have practical driving test checkups from 75 to 70, as well as having to complete the test every two years. This will decrease the number of on road accidents. Elderly people make up a large amount of those driving on the roads and lots of them have health conditions or are too old and shouldn't be on the roads putting themselves and the public in danger. In fact 73% of those aged 75 and over have a valid drivers licence, and some of them are not fit to be on the roads safely.

There is a rapid increase in longevity, to which the World Health Organisation discovered that by 2030, 1 in 6 people in the world will be aged 60 years or over to which those over 60 will increase from 1 billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion. This will continue to increase with the inquiry finding 2.1 billion of the population will be 60 years and older. Taking this research into account, this means there will be a large number of our elderly still driving on our roads. This petition considers the safety conditions of our roads alongside the consideration of safety towards our senior citizens. We aim to ensure that they too feel comfortable and safe with the ever growing changes of our roads and society.

The older we get the more our physical health deteriorates. Our vision becomes weaker, our hearing becomes less effective and our reflexes and reaction speeds slow. Alongside this , we become more prone to illness and begin to rely on medication. These points need to be taken into consideration in regards to senior drivers.

This is the time for change, before age expectancy rises even more. Implementing this change will help communities feel safer as the years go by. If this action isn’t taken quickly then we are risking the lives of the elderly and those on the roads. Signing this petition will help us make New Zealand roads safer for everyone and it will help senior citizens feel comfortable on the roads. 

Please sign, it only takes a minute! Thank you