In a response to the most common complaint currently made by seniors in the area, Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald will be hosting an information meeting about DriveABLE on Friday, April 27, at 1:30 pm in the Revelstoke United Church Hall.
Seniors have stated that DriveABLE, the BC government’s driver fitness assessment tool, is not reasonably accessible, nor is it fair.
“My office has received many calls from seniors who have taken the DriveABLE test or are concerned that they will soon have to take the test,” said Macdonald. “While they all agree that establishing a driver’s fitness is appropriate, they say the existing method isn’t fair, especially to rural seniors.
“Seniors are required to travel to either Kelowna or Nelson with an accompanying person in order to be tested. This is an unreasonable burden on seniors who have to cover the cost of travel, food and accommodation for what often must be an overnight trip.”
DriveABLE is a computerized test that purports to assess cognitive function. But many concerns have been raised about the validity of that test.
“It is one thing to insist that seniors travel a great distance to take an assessment, but to then discover that there are questions about whether or not this test is accurate is a real problem. While no one wants to see unsafe drivers on the road, we must be sure that seniors are treated fairly through the assessment process.”
For more information please call 1-866-870-4188 or 250-344-4816.
