124th Morrison Congress

2nd Session

H.R. 124-036
Title of the Bill:

Compulsory Drivers Test for Seniors

Main Author(s):

Rep. Jocelyn Tsai (R-OH)

Co-Sponsor(s):
BE IT ENACTED BY THE MORRISON CONGRESS
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SECTION 1: Findings
Congress makes the following findings:
1) According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a senior
citizen is more likely than a younger driver to be at fault in an accident in
which they are involved. (i)
2) In 2012, more than 5,560 older adults were killed and more than
214,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes. This amounts to 15 older
adults killed and 586 injured in crashes on average every day. There were
almost 36 million licensed older drivers in 2012, which is a 34 percent
increase from 1999. (ii)
3) Per mile traveled, fatal crash rates increase noticeably starting at
ages 7074 and are highest among drivers age 85 and older. This is largely
due to increased susceptibility to injury and medical complications among
older drivers rather than an increased tendency to get into crashes. (ii)
4) The most recent report by the Department for Transport on road
casualties in Great Britain for 2014 showed that the number of car occupant
fatalities for the over 60s increased by 7.6%, and seriously injured casualties
had risen by 11%. (iii)
5) 88% of votes from over 1,000 people voted that they agreed that
compulsory driving tests should be required for older people. (iv)
6) While a road test with younger drivers may not reveal problems, such
a test would work best for identifying senior drivers with diminished faculties.
The legislation we were proposing wasnt anti-aging; its pro-aging. Its
protecting them from impairments they might not know they have, Mullen
said. (v)
7) When this is applied to drivers older than 75, there is essentially no
difference according to age in support of this -- 93% of Americans below age
50 support regular testing of drivers aged 75 and older, as do 89% of
Americans aged 50 and older. (vi)
SECTION 2: Purpose
This bill provides that for all licensed drivers over the age of 70 will need to take a
compulsory physical driving test every 4 years or after they have been in an
accident for the safety of both the driver and the public.
SECTION 3: General Provisions
All licensed drivers over the age of 70 will need to take a compulsory physical driving
test every 4 years or after they have been in an accident. As a persons age
increases, health problems may arise. Problems that come with age, like slower
decision making skills, decreased vision, and possible known/unknown side
effects that come from taking medication may affect ones driving ability.
In addition to taking a compulsory driving test, all licensed drivers over the age of 70

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should have their primary doctor report any conditions they may have to the DMV
if the doctor thinks the condition may affect the drivers driving skills.
SECTION 4: Definitions
Licensed Driver: a person who drives a vehicle, owning or having an official licence.
License: authorize the use, performance, or release of (something); permit
(someone) to do something.
Physical Driving Test: A driving test (also known as a driving exam, driver's test, or
road test) is a procedure designed to test a person's ability to drive a motor
vehicle.
Senior: an elderly person, especially an old-age pensioner; a person who is a
specified number of years older than someone else.

Works Cited:
I.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_age_and_driving
II.
http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/older_adult_drivers/?
scrlybrkr=5e214223
III.
http://www.click4reg.co.uk/blog/should-elderly-drivers-be-retested/
IV.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/should-elderly-drivers-sit-retest6814527?scrlybrkr=ea5789e8
V.
http://www.mercurynews.com/2015/10/03/should-older-drivers-undergo-roadtests-to-keep-licenses/?scrlybrkr=6e277980
VI.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/8917/support-widespread-regular-testing-elderlydrivers.aspx?scrlybrkr=838566b1