Hawaii Bill Calls for Road Test for Elderly Drivers

January 26, 2005

Drivers 75 years old and older would have to take a road test to renew their licenses, under a bill introduced by Rep. Jerry Chang.

Statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed drivers over 75 had the highest rate of fatal accidents in the nation during 2001 and 2002, said Chang, D-Piihonua-Kaumana.

Only teenage drivers had more fatal accidents.

Eighty-six-year-old Rep. Helene Hale, D-Pahoa-Kalapana, called the measure ridiculous, saying older drivers are more careful and don’t speed.

Almost 45,000of the state’s drivers are 75 and older, according to Dennis Kamimura, administrator for Honolulu’s Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing.

Under current law, the licenses of drivers 72 and older are renewed every two years, instead of the usual four years.

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