Almost a year has passed since the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) implemented changes to the 80 and Over Driver’s Licence Renewal Program and the response has been generally positive, the MTO says.
“Based on the ministry’s interaction with seniors during renewal sessions, through community engagement and through public correspondence, the ministry recognizes that seniors have generally been very supportive of the changes,” says MTO spokesperson Ajay Woozageer.
Implemented in April 2014, those 80 and over no longer need to complete a written test to renew their driver’s licence. Instead, a simpler program was initiated, which includes a vision test, driving record review and an in-class group education session paired with two short in-class screening exercises.
The written test was removed after MTO research found it was not the most effective way to judge a senior’s ability to drive.
“Being that many seniors have a wealth of driving experience, testing their knowledge of driving rules during the renewal session is not a productive means of tackling the primary cause of their elevated risk-cognitive impairment,” Woozageer says.
These exercises involve non-computerized tasks to identify those drivers who may need further review for road tests or a medical review.
In the first four months of the program, more than 47,000 seniors attended in-class sessions. According to the MTO, those who failed the in-class sessions also failed the subsequent road test.
“Preliminary results indicate that for those that failed the in-class screening component in a range that warranted a road test, a high proportion of these drivers also failed their road test,” Woozageer says. “Suggesting that in-class screening exercises are effectively identifying unfit drivers.”
While the numbers are still preliminary, Woozageer says the MTO continues to gather the information and data regarding these pass/fail rates and a more detailed report should be available in the near future.
With the changed process, the MTO has trimmed down the amount of time it takes to renew a licence.
Woozageer says seniors are happiest with the reduced time it takes to complete the process, which has been trimmed in half from the previous three hours to approximate an hour and a half – a benefit for those 80 and over who must renew their licence every two years.
The cost for a renewal remains the same at $32, with no additional charge for those requiring a road test.
