(Quebec) Drivers aged 75 no longer have to undergo medical and visual examinations, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) announced on Tuesday.
Posted at 9:06
This clientele previously had to have a medical examination report completed by a physician, as well as an eye examination report by an ophthalmologist or an optometrist.
She will now have to provide a medical self-declaration, announced in a press release the SAAQ, which explains that it wants to improve its customer service by reducing bureaucracy.
“This way of doing things will reduce the pressure on the health system while improving the customer experience by simplifying the procedures,” the press release also read.
People whose state of health requires follow-up, and those aged 80 or over, will have to continue to undergo medical and visual examinations to verify their fitness to drive, specifies the SAAQ.
The state-owned company denies acting to the detriment of road safety, affirming that people aged 75 (there are 55,000 per year) constitute a clientele “overwhelmingly able to drive”.
In recent years, less than 2% of them have had their driver’s license suspended following a medical or visual examination.
“Quebecers are living longer; […] 75-year-old drivers are healthier than in the past,” said SAAQ President and CEO Denis Marsolais.
“The new way of doing things will not be implemented at the expense of road safety, but rather with a view to improving our efficiency and our customer service,” he added.
For his part, the Minister of Transport, François Bonnardel, stressed the importance of relieving the Quebec health network, which has been “greatly solicited in recent months”.
“By increasing the efficiency of our medical checks, we can better identify drivers who represent a risk and thus ensure that safety remains the priority on our roads”, he argued.