A 97-year-old South Australian woman has fought for her driver’s licence to be reinstated after she failed two practical driving tests, blaming the lack of safety features in the test vehicle.
ABC News reports the unnamed woman had twice failed the state’s practical tests which determine an elderly motorist’s fitness to drive, an annual requirement in South Australia for those 85 years old and above.
Individuals fail the test if they amass 20 or more points.
The woman’s first test in July 2023 saw her score 182 points – nine times the threshold – and included road rule breaches such as driving in bike lanes, failing to give way, driving well below the speed limit, and braking without cause.
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Her second attempt, which took place in October 2023, still resulted in a score of 128 points, with incidents of note including driving at 57km/h in a 50km/h zone, disobeying a stop sign, failing to keep left after navigating a junction, and failing to check or indicate properly.
ABC News reports that, in line with the South Australia Registrar of Motor Vehicles regulations, her licence was suspended. However, she subsequently appealed this before the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT).
SACAT upheld the transport department’s ruling to suspend her licence, despite the woman’s grandson – who represented her at the hearing – claiming “the assessor’s determinations were primarily based on, or at least influenced by, the applicant’s age.”
The woman told the tribunal that losing her licence has posed “significant challenges to her daily life”, and that public transport isn’t a viable alternative.
In the tribunal hearing she asked for a restricted licence which would allow her to drive during daylight hours in her local area, as well as approval to drive a car which has a speed limiter and blind-spot monitoring.
According to the woman, the car she used to undertake the test was not her own, and lacked the safety features which she claims have helped her driving.
SACAT member Estelle Frawley said the assessor made errors during the driving tests and admitted the woman had a “long and almost unblemished driving history”, however, this did “not equate to current competency”.
“The results of the [driving tests] indicate a significant risk that the applicant is not able to operate a motor vehicle and that any future driving by the applicant presents a danger to the public,” Ms Frawley said in the SACAT’s ruling.
“The risk posed by the applicant necessitates a conclusion that she is not competent to drive a motor vehicle.”
