Canada's aging population is growing and as drivers age they are involved in more accidents, the head of the Insurance Board of Canada warns.
"It's unfortunate, we know that current statistics show drivers at age 75 and older are involved in significantly more collisions," Mark Yakabuski, CEO of the Insurance Board of Canada, said yesterday at the Aging Driver Mobility Forum in Toronto.

Yakabuski said it's not fair to look at a person's age without taking into account medical conditions, which may also affect the ability to drive.
About 25% of Canada's population will be 65 or older by the year 2030 and medical problems like arthritis, heart disease, stroke and dementia become more common.

Yakabuski wants to ensure that medically-at-risk drivers will be able to keep their mobility and maintain their quality of life.

"We need to come up with creative solutions to deal with older drivers and stop thinking about age. We really need to think about those drivers who have medical conditions that can impair their ability to drive," Yakabuski said.
The Ontario transportation ministry requires a vision and knowledge test on driving every two years after age 80.

Yakabuski called on the government to consider restricting licences so seniors or people with ailments don't lose their licences altogether but can drive with restrictions, such as no driving at night or on highways.

"We are in the initial stage of exploring methods used by other North American jurisdictions. Current studies lack a demonstrable safety benefit associated with conditional licensing," transportation ministry spokesman Bob Nichols said.
Don Bellamy, 81, said he can't survive without driving his car. The Meaford senior says the elderly in rural areas have few options.

"There are only one or two taxi drivers available for the community and many seniors can't afford taxis," he said.

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