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The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has called on the government to restrict the issuance of Motor Vehicle Licences (LKM) to senior citizens
The reason being the senior citizens’ health conditions factoring to road accidents, according to Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department director DCP Datuk Azisman Alias.
In a report yesterday, 24 September, New Straits Times reported Azisman saying that diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and blurred vision are among the health issues faced by elderly motorists.
The proposal is for reducing the number of road accidents in Malaysia
Malaysian roads have seen over 2,000 fatal motorcycle accidents from January to August this year.
In comparison, accidents involved cars was recorded at 450 deaths for the same period.
While speaking at a special press conference in Bukit Aman, Azisman recalled a case “where a senior citizen was caught driving on a motorcycle lane” and urged the government to look into this issue.
Azisman was possibly referring to the incident that happened in June last year when a 53-year-old man drove his Volvo sport utility vehicle (SUV) in a motorcycle lane on the Federal Highway.
The reason he ended up on the motorcycle lane was that his Waze was set to motorcycle mode.
But it’s not old people. A few months later in September, two 33-year-old motorists were caught on video driving in a lane reserved for motorcycles along the Federal Highway.
They blamed Waze for directing them into “a small alley”.
Image via OneNews
The proposal appears to be aimed at those aged 70 and above
Current regulations allow an individual to renew their LKM once every five year period.
“If a 70-year-old senior citizen renews LKM for a five-year period, it is not suitable at all because of the age factor,” Azisman said.