TORONTO -- The Insurance Bureau of Canada said Thursday governments should consider legislation that would slap restrictions on older drivers who suffer from potentially hazardous health conditions.
"We have to grapple with the fact that a growing number of our population will have some limitations on their physical and cognitive abilities to drive in the future," said CEO Mark Yakabuski, who stressed early identification and testing of medical problems, rather than age, is at the heart of the issue.
Speaking at a two-day gathering of insurance, policy and health officials, Yakabuski said one quarter of Canada's population will be 65 or older by 2030.
Currently in Ontario and most provinces, drivers over the age of 80 are subject to automatic testing and doctors are required by law to report any medical conditions, like night blindness or heart disease, for patients over 16 -- the province's legal driving age.
Yakabuski said a more sophisticated approach is needed.
-- The Canadian Press
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