DRIVERS OVER 70

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23662, 22 May 1940, Page 8

DRIVERS OVER 70

TEST NOW REQUIRED AUCKLAND APPLICANTS Motorists over 70 years of age are now required to undergo an annual driving test before the issue or renewal of a driver's licence, and are called upon to have a medical certificate of fitness to drive a motor vehicle. This was decreed in new regulations gazetted three weeks ago and is being applied to applicants for s driving licences effective from the first of next month. So far 2725 motorists have made application for driving licences at the traffic department at the Town Hall, and of these 76 were 70 years of age or over. In every case the driving test was applied and the great majority were successful. It was found that generally these aged drivers were well up to the standard set by the examining officers. In most cases the hearing and sight of the applicants and the handling of the vehicles was unusually good. The most elderly of the applicants was 80 years of age and he passed the test, as did another who was 77. It was found that a number of these applicants had been driving motor cars for from 20 to 30 years. So far there has been no rush by motorists to renew their driving* licences and up to yesterday only 2725 had been issued, out of the 22.000 usually taken out in the city. During the first three weeks of May of last year 3560 wore issued, but as there was some delay this year in making the licences available the rate of issue compares favourably. Approximately 400 licences were taken out yesterday.