A local activist is pushing the provincial government to allow seniors to take their road test in Sooke.
When seniors reach 80 years old, they are required to undergo a medical examination and redo their road test to ensure they can still safely operate a motor vehicle. But the only place seniors can retake their test is in Victoria, which Richard Jones would like to change.
B次元官网网址淭o get a letter in the mail saying you have to redo your driving test is intimidating to begin with, but a lot of Sooke seniors donB次元官网网址檛 realize that the only place to redo the test is in Victoria, where most Sooke seniors donB次元官网网址檛 drive anyways,B次元官网网址� said Jones, adding the test takes up an entire morning to do, and some seniors avoid trying to retake the test because they are scared to drive in the high-volume traffic in Victoria.
B次元官网网址淎fter 75, life is a lot different, and driving downtown is a nightmare.B次元官网网址�
Jones has approached the local seniors group, Sooke council, and the provincial government, proposing to have a driving examiner come out to Sooke once in a while to give seniors a chance to take the road test in their own community.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a lot easier on seniorsB次元官网网址� health to do the test in Sooke,B次元官网网址� said Jones. B次元官网网址淏ecause Sooke doesnB次元官网网址檛 have the same level of transit as other municipalities do, so for some seniors, driving is necessary to get to appointments, the store, or anywhere really. And most seniors that IB次元官网网址檝e talked to rarely ever drive outside Sooke, so why should they take their test somewhere that they wonB次元官网网址檛 be driving?B次元官网网址�
Sooke Coun.Rick Kasper, who is also councilB次元官网网址檚 representative for the seniors group, said he agrees with Jones, and council has written a letter of support to the government.
B次元官网网址淲e have an aging population in Sooke, and that number is going to increase rapidly in coming years,B次元官网网址� said Kasper.
The government responded to Jones and councilB次元官网网址檚 letter, saying there isnB次元官网网址檛 enough of a demand in Sooke, and that other places in B.C. have it worse, so bringing an examiner to Sooke wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be necessary.
B次元官网网址淯nfortunately, decisions about which communities are able to offer the enhanced road assessment was made based on the projected number of assessments to be conducted,B次元官网网址� said Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth in a letter to Jones. B次元官网网址淗istorically, Sooke has not had a great enough number of re-examinations to enable ICBC to offer the ERA directly in Sooke.B次元官网网址�
Kasper said he intends to bring the issue up at the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference this fall.
B次元官网网址淚f some people only want to drive in their community, that should be taken into consideration,B次元官网网址� said Kasper. B次元官网网址淎nd where there is a political will, there is a way. The government just needs to think outside the box.B次元官网网址�
He suggested the government could look at putting a restriction on seniorsB次元官网网址� licenses who donB次元官网网址檛 want to take the test in Victoria, such as only being able to drive within a certain distance from the Sooke, or only during daylight hours.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 important to do something, especially because of the issue of isolation,B次元官网网址� said Kasper. B次元官网网址淐utting off another form of mobility for seniors because they are afraid to take the test, lessens their opportunity to interact, and in turn, I think that could have a detrimental impact on seniorsB次元官网网址� well-being.B次元官网网址�
