Taiwan to tighten eligibility testing of senior drivers

2016/01/13

Drivers aged 75 and over in Taiwan are required to take physical and cognitive tests to renew their licenses every two years starting 2017, according to the Directorate-General of Highways under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications Jan 11.

The new measure applies to holders of licenses for all classes of vehicles. Those failing to pass the exam comprising fitness, judgment, memory, temporal cognition and vision components will be ineligible for renewal going forward.

Chen Tsung-chien, a DGOH section chief, said the change is in the best interests of the public and better protects senior drivers still on the road.

“As Taiwan does not set an upper age limit for motorists, licenses are valid for life at present,” Chen said, citing the latest statistics of 232,000 and 421,000 people over 75 with automobile and motorbike licenses, respectively.

According to Chen, safety issues related to elderly drivers are especially salient in light of Taiwan’s rapidly aging society. “The 75-plus group accounted for 12.9 percent of traffic-related fatalities in 2014 and had the highest incidence of rule violations,” he said.

The regulation was drafted with reference to standards in such countries and territories as Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea, which set the age for license restrictions at 60, 70 and 65, respectively. Nationwide consensus has also been reached on the matter following a series of DGOH-organized public hearings around the island.

Amendments to related laws and regulations are expected to be completed in the first half of the year, with a six-month trial set for launch in July. Full-scale implementation and compulsory enforcement will follow thereafter.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=241157&ctNode=2194&mp=9)