Malaysia mulling new measures for elderly drivers who want to renew licences

Elderly drivers in Malaysia might have to undergo additional assessments when they renew their driving licence as the government takes steps to reduce the number of accidents involving senior motorists.

The new measures could include mandatory competency and health assessments, said Siti Zaharah Ishak, director-general of the Malaysian Road Safety Research Institute (Miros), an agency under the Malaysian Ministry of Transport.

Dr Siti said that these conditions could be introduced if current provisions are not enough to curb the rise in accidents involving elderly drivers, reported Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times.

According to the English-language daily, since 2020, Malaysia has seen a steady increase in the percentage of accidents where drivers are aged 60 and above - from 8.9 per cent in 2020 to 9.2 per cent in 2021 and 12 per cent in 2022.

“Ageing can affect fitness and driving ability, including vision and hearing limitations, slower reaction times, joint stiffness, and muscle weakness, all of which can hinder safe driving,” Dr Siti said, while noting that possessing a driving licence represents a sense of freedom for elderly people and also promotes healthy ageing.

Current driving regulations in Malaysia specify only a minimum age of 17 for cars and 16 for motorcycles to be eligible, without a maximum stipulated age. The licences can be renewed for periods of up to 10 years.

Malaysia’s Road Safety Act mandates that drivers should ensure that they are in a healthy condition to drive. Dr Siti said this was considered sufficient to ensure that at-risk individuals do not drive, but she also acknowledged that some people may not realise that their ability to drive safely has been compromised as they age.

Should such additional conditions for elderly drivers be implemented, this would require cooperation from various parties, including the Road Transport Department, health institutions, the elderly themselves, and their families, Dr Siti said.

This is not the first time Miros has called for additional measures to be implemented for elderly drivers.

In February, Miros chairman Wong Shaw Voon called on the Malaysian government to impose a mandatory medical examination for those aged 65 and above wishing to renew their driving licences.

At the time, Dr Wong said the implementation of such measures is “imperative to ensure the safety of older drivers apart from playing a pivotal role in safeguarding the well-being of other road users”.

In July, Malaysia’s transport minister Anthony Loke said there were no plans to place a cap on the age of Malaysian drivers, following a road safety study which revealed that about 30 per cent of drivers above 60 were still active on the road.

Mr Loke acknowledged at the time that it would be difficult to impose a ban on senior citizens driving, especially if the person lives in a rural area or needs to get around during emergencies.