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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, Ju ne 21 ,2 01 8 | 42 and they usually go without preparing for what is on that test, so they're going blind into a specific test of their driving, which is knowledge and skills." Black says many seniors may not know that they can fail the test for seemingly small or insignificant fac- tors, such as not using their parking brake. Black offers courses for senior drivers to provide them with an education on the way driving tests have changed over the years and to make them aware of the instances that would re- quire them to take a road test. Glen Williams resident Eva Murdock, 79, says she has a close friend who re- cently had his licence re- voked. "It was a horror story for him," she said. "He had to take a driving test. He's a good driver, he's been driv- ing for years, and they failed him. He had had a stroke and he was mobile, but they didn't think his cognitive skills were quick enough." According to data ob- tained from the Halton Re- gional Police Service from March 2017 to March 2018, among all accidents involv- ing seniors (ages 65 years and older), there have been 20.8 collisions per 1,000 peo- ple. The annual Halton Re- gional Police Service report for 2017 cites 9,261 reported motor vehicle collisions in total, which means that for Halton residents of driving age (using available census population data for resi- dents ages 15 and up), the collision rate is almost at par with that of solely se- niors at 20.9 accidents per 1,000 people. Sandra Letarnec, 75, chose to retire from driving seven years ago after a seri- ous accident (of which she was found to be not at fault) left her hospital-ridden and unable to stand for months. "The accident I was in, it wasn't my fault, the other driver was doing twice the speed limit when he came and T-boned me," she said. "I was on my way to watch my little grandson in his first school concert. Next thing, I woke up in the hos- pital. It's a bit of a shock to your system." Letarnec said she feels that many people have a preconceived notion about senior drivers that can of- ten lead to bias when it comes to accidents involv- ing seniors. "You're prejudged be- cause of the colour of your hair," she said. "If there's a 30-year-old and a 70-year- old in an accident, automat- ically they blame the senior until tests are done." Georgetown physician and Ontario Medical Asso- ciation president Nadia Alam says speaking to se- nior patients about wheth- er or not it would it be ap- propriate to retire from driving is quite common, and a subject that all family doctors should broach at some point. "As people get older they do get slower and it's phys- ically slower, either through arthritis or a phys- ical disease like that, or it could be mentally slower, either through just plain old forgetfulness versus something more progres- sive like dementia. Natural- ly, as the human body ages, your reflexes get slower, your thinking gets slower, and at some point, it be- comes a safety issue." Alam says most of the patients she has had this conversation with have rec- ognized the signs them- selves or have had family members who expressed concern. "This is something that seniors should prepare for as they prepare for every- thing else that changes in their life as they get older," she said. However, she adds, mak- ing the decision to quit driv- ing is one that can be bitter- sweet for seniors, and it is important to subsequently speak about how patients can still maintain their in- dependence and continue to do the things they enjoy. Alam says though Georgetown does not cur- rently have a public transit system, it does offer a whole host of transportation alter- natives for seniors, includ- ing ActiVan and CAShh. A full list of resources can be found at http:// www.halton.ca/cms/One. COMMUNITY l Continued from page 3 Senior drivers presented with a host challenges ON NOW AT THE BRICK! SAVING YOU MORE For more details go instore or online @thebrick.com. 905-877-1237905-877-1237Certified Mechanics on Duty Just ask! coupon ✃ TIRES! All Sizes All Brands We are Diesel Vehicle specialists! Fleet Maintenance/Programs available all auto & truck service Boost your starting power with DeKa Batteries! ✃ Car & Truck, ATV, RV, Motorcycles, Snowmobiles & More! Best Pricing on all Products 20 Armstrong Avenue, Georgetown BE RE ADY FOR SUMM ER TRAVE L! BE RE ADY SUMM ER VEL! TIRES! All Brands We have Anco All Season Wiper Blades! Vehicles + TAX Most Vehicles $3995 only • Oil Change • Antifreeze Check • Lubrication • 52 point inspection • Battery & Wiper Blade Check • FREE FLUID TOP UPS SuMMer Special!* * Up to 6 Ltr. Limited time offer • Upgrade to synthetic for $15 extra. only $7.49/ea installed. Car & Truck, A