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Elderly Drivers: When to Give Up the Wheel – What Instructors Suggest
🇬🇷 Greece /Culture & Society

Elderly Drivers: When to Give Up the Wheel – What Instructors Suggest

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Driving instructors are calling for more systematic medical checks for older drivers and training on new traffic rules.
  • The president of the Panhellenic Federation of Driving Instructors stated that age alone is not a criterion for driving ability.
  • Proposals include linking drivers' social security numbers to health records for better medical assessments and providing training on updated traffic laws.

Driving instructors in Greece are urging for more rigorous medical evaluations and updated training for elderly drivers. The president of the Panhellenic Federation of Driving Instructors, Efi Lentziou, emphasized that age is not the sole determinant of driving capability, noting that some 80-year-olds possess excellent driving skills while younger individuals may drive dangerously.

We should not stigmatize the third age. There are 80-year-old people who maintain very good driving ability and there are many younger drivers who drive dangerously.

— Efi LentziouPresident of the Panhellenic Federation of Driving Instructors, commenting on age and driving ability.

Lentziou advocates for an objective assessment of each driver's ability to operate a vehicle safely. She proposed linking drivers' social security numbers (AMKA) to the national health records (IDIKA) to provide doctors with a clearer view of their medical history. This would enable physicians to refer drivers for necessary examinations, including checks by ophthalmologists and general practitioners, and other specialists as needed, to assess their fitness to drive.

Many older drivers obtained their licenses decades ago when roads, signage, and traffic rules were vastly different. Lentziou highlighted the need for training on the new Highway Code, updated signs, and modern road markings. "Everything has changed. Different roads, overpasses, things that most people don't know and don't know how to handle," she stated.

Everything has changed. Different roads, overpasses, things that most people don't know and don't know how to handle.

— Efi LentziouDescribing the evolution of road infrastructure and rules.

The decision for an elderly person to stop driving often depends on their personality, as driving can represent autonomy and socialization. However, Lentziou stressed that medical assessments are crucial, and if a doctor certifies a driver as medically fit, it is difficult to override that decision. The responsibility for ensuring road safety ultimately rests heavily on these medical evaluations.

If the doctor gives him the health certificate, I can't do anything. A very large part of the responsibility lies with the medical examinations.

— Efi LentziouOn the role of medical professionals in determining a driver's fitness.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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