Revoking driver’s licences due to dementia a delicate process, says P.E.I. Highway Safety | 24CA News

P.E.I. has quite a lot of methods in place to detect individuals unsafe to drive due to dementia, and isn’t planning on introducing among the heavier measures in place in different provinces.

In Ontario, drivers over the age of 80 are screened each two years. Director of Highway Safety Graham Miner would not assume that is mandatory on the Island.

He famous medical doctors are required to report considerations about driving abilities, and that folks liable to dementia are seeing their physician recurrently. Police additionally play a job, he stated.

“Enforcement agencies that may stop a vehicle, maybe suspected of impaired driving, and it may turn out to be an individual that may have driving skill type issues,” Miner advised Island Morning host Laura Chapin.

“When that happens we may refer them to have a medical done.”

That medical could embrace a driving check, he stated, and it would not cease there. Drivers may find yourself with a restricted licence which would require being retested each three to 6 months, and probably solely driving in sure locations at sure instances, not driving at evening or on the freeway. 

Between 400 and 500 drivers on P.E.I. are at present working below restrictions, Miner stated, however he could not say what number of of these are seniors. 

Testing may additionally lead to revoking of the licence, which Miner estimates occurs to about 20 to 30 seniors every year. 

Professional referrals solely

While freeway security could obtain referrals from medical professionals or police, it is not going to take referrals from members of the family or associates.

“What we will do, for example, if you were calling about your grandfather, we would say contact your family doctor and see if they’ll make a referral,” stated Miner.

There are two causes for this, he stated. First of all there may be the difficulty of malicious intent. An individual might be referred by a neighbour they’re having a battle with, or a member of the family who’s after a automobile.

Secondly, limiting direct referrals protects members of the family.

‘He would simply go right into a rage’

Losing your driver’s licence is troublesome, even traumatic, particularly in a province akin to P.E.I. the place there are fewer choices for getting round and not using a automobile.

Geriatric psychiatrist Mark Rapoport, who with one other physician just lately launched an internet site to assist individuals navigate whether or not it’s time to cease driving, stated a part of the motivation in creating the location was their understanding of what a troublesome determination it’s.

“We’re told that it’s almost worse than hearing one has dementia in the first place, to hear that you have to stop driving,” stated Rapaport.

Miner understands from private expertise the significance of conserving members of the family out of the image.

“I’ve gone through this myself,” he stated.

“If the person knows a family member, especially when we’re dealing with dementia, is the person that reported them, they’ll never let you forget that. My dad, to his dying day, when he would have his moments when I’d go and visit him, and he would just go into a rage that I was the person that took his licence from him. He was a retired Baptist minister and I heard him use language that I didn’t even know he knew.”

Not having direct referrals can shield a household from that state of affairs, stated Miner.