In Norway and Finland, the law says that car drivers who have reached the age of 70 must conduct a health and vision survey every time they renew their driver’s license. At the same time, Sweden lowers its vision requirements for a driver’s license from February 1st.
This means that, for example, people who have had impaired vision in the periphery as a result of a disease such as diabetes, stroke or glaucoma can take a driver’s license or keep it. This is because the visual problem is not considered to be able to affect the safety of traffic. It is the Swedish Transport Agency that has decided on the new rules and they follow the EU.
But Mikael Blomberg, traffic police in Karlstad, thinks that Sweden should introduce requirements for eye surveys for all the elderly who sit behind the wheel such as Norway and Finland. Which NWT Be the first to report.
– Safety is suspended that you have a vision, a good judgment in traffic and good reflex ability. But vision is affected with age for most people. For some, you get impaired vision earlier and others have a good view of life, says Mikael Blomberg.
In her job, Mikael Blomberg meets people who, regardless of their age, do not show a good performance in traffic. But it also happens that he and his colleagues encounter the elderly who can no longer run traffic safely.
– Often it is the public who called in and feels worried about a particular vehicle that they found. They call the police because they think it is a drunk driver, but when checking it turns out to be an older driver. It is very common.
Emotionally charged question
Today in Sweden, doctors have the task of reporting to the Swedish Transport Agency if they meet a patient who they do not think should be allowed to drive. And some driver’s license holders already need to go on regular checks, but only those who drive heavy traffic, bus and truck. All drivers who are over 45 years old and must renew their C or D-driving license must go on a medical examination, where an assessment of the person’s vision and health is made.
But Mikael Blomberg believes that through that system, ordinary road users with a B driver’s license, as if wrong, can cause great damage in traffic can be caused.
-If we look at the crash violence with a regular vehicle as with a B-driving license, it can be a huge crash violence too.
At the same time, Mikael Blomberg has an understanding that the issue of compulsory vision surveys for the elderly is difficult and emotionally charged.
– Taking a driver’s license is a huge sense of freedom, it is a sign that you have reached a certain age and is entitled to take wherever you want. If you have had that freedom all your life, it is extremely sensitive to be deprived of that freedom, he says.
– It is not very common to have the ability to judge that now I do not drive as well as I have done, now it is time to put the keys in the box.
“Driving license is not a right”
Mikael Blomberg urges all drivers to check their view from their 40s and up. But a requirement for vision survey for all older drivers would also mean increased financial costs, according to the Swedish Transport Agency’s investigators.
– To be responsible for your own medical examination in terms of cost, I do not see a problem with. A visual examination can be done with opticians, that part does not land on health care, says Mikael Blomberg.
And he thinks it is important that society prioritizes road safety over something else.
– Is it most worthwhile that we have fewer injured and kill in traffic or is it better that we look at the financial about it? In addition, one that is damaged in traffic results in a significant sum for society.
– Driving license is not a right, it is something you pay for and show that you can have.