Driving age limit fuels debate in Singapore

A number of accidents involving elderly drivers in recent months have sparked debate over whether seniors should continue to take the wheel.

In September, at least two elderly drivers were involved in police investigations following separate accidents. One of them, aged 77, was arrested over an accident in the Toa Payoh area that led to the death of an 83-year-old cyclist. In another case, a 70-year-old driver's car collided with the rear of a double-decker bus at a Hillview area bus stop.

Such accidents often draw hundreds of comments on social media, with netizens sparring over the merit of having a driving cutoff age.

In Singapore, the statutory age limit for taxi, private-hire car and heavy vehicle drivers is 75, but there is no restriction for those who do not drive for a living.

Motorists aged 65 and above must be certified fit to drive by a Singapore-registered doctor once every three years in order to renew their licenses.

Drivers have to report their medical history to the doctor, who will check for signs of physical disabilities, psychiatric disorder and hearing difficulty, among other things. A vision test and a basic mental impairment test will also be done.

Proponents of a driving age limit say it will be good for road safety, but others call them out for making ageist stereotyping. Some also challenge the notion that elderly drivers are to blame for more accidents.

According to the police, the number of fatal accidents involving drivers aged 65 and above, who include motorcyclists and heavy vehicle drivers, has risen from eight in the first six months of 2023, to 11 in the same period in 2024. In comparison, the figure for drivers aged 64 and below fell from 66 to 63.

There was also an increase of about 5 percent in the number of accidents involving drivers aged 65 and above that resulted in injuries, from 606 in the first half of 2023 to 639 in the first half of 2024. For drivers aged 64 and below, this fell by about 1 percent.

While it is hard to draw conclusions from a small set of year-on-year data, transport economist Walter Theseira said an uptrend in the number of accidents involving elderly drivers can be expected in the future.

This is "simply because of Singapore's aging population, and also because of the increased affluence of our older population, where more are still able to afford cars even in retirement", said the associate professor from the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

Some have questioned if the current requirement is adequate.

Bernard Tay, chairman of the Singapore Road Safety Council, suggested that elderly drivers, including himself, should voluntarily go for more medical checkups.

The 75-year-old said seniors who are aware of any impairments that affect their ability to drive should not wait for the mandatory medical examination every three years.

"You must take responsibility and go for regular medical checkups to ensure you are fit to drive," he said.

Kelvin Goh, medical lead of the United Primary Care Network group, said that doctors have the responsibility to advise patients to stop driving when they develop medical conditions that make them unfit to drive.

If patients do not comply, doctors can report them to the police, while balancing the patient's right to confidentiality, he said.

"However, one challenge we face is that we are unable to access the National Electronic Health Record for this medical exam as it is not one of the permitted uses," he said.

"Hence, we are unsure if the patient's declaration of his or her medical history is accurate."

Theseira suggested making the medical test more thorough and rigorous.

He said medical experts can also weigh in on what other functional tests, such as those for reaction time, should be introduced.

But more tests would increase costs for drivers, so a more calibrated approach is needed, Theseira said.

THE STRAITS TIMES, SINGAPORE