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ABC News
5 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Fatal Victorian crash that saw 91yo driver hit three pedestrians puts focus on elderly driver rules
When a car driven by a 91-year-old killed a woman and left a man and boy with life-threatening injuries on Thursday, it reignited discussion over whether Victoria's rules for elderly drivers needed revisiting. The morning after the incident, acting premier Ben Carroll said whether the rules should change was "a valid question". "I will work with the road safety minister on this," Mr Carroll said. The tragedy followed another crash in March, when six-year-old Caleb Wesley died when an 84-year-old woman hit him on Bannockburn-Shelford Road at Teesdale. Unlike Queensland, New South Wales, and the ACT, Victoria does not require drivers aged 75 and over to have annual medical assessments to keep their licence. Western Australia also requires medical assessments past the age of 80, and in some states, bespoke driving tests for the elderly are required at the request of a doctor, or when drivers pass a certain age. In Victoria, there are no mandatory medical checks or driving tests for the elderly. While drivers are required to notify VicRoads if they develop conditions that could affect their driving — and they may be asked to complete a medical review — responsibility largely falls on the individual to decide if they are fit to drive. Victoria Police data shows in the five years to June 30, 2023, motorists aged 65 or older were responsible for at least 145 road deaths and more than 7,000 injuries. But University of Adelaide centre for automotive safety deputy director Matthew Baldock said older drivers actually had fewer crashes. "Older drivers are often sort of maligned as being a group with a higher-crash risk than other age groups, but research actually indicates the opposite," Dr Baldock said. "If you look at overall crash numbers, the older the age group, the smaller the overall crash numbers they're involved in." Crash rates per licensed driver showed older drivers had the lowest crash rate of any age group, which Dr Baldock said may be in part because they drove less frequently. He said research also did not suggest mandatory medical exams or requirements to re-test for the elderly resulted in safer roads. "In Victoria, there's no mandatory age-based assessments for older drivers and Victorian older-driver crash rates are certainly no higher than anywhere else in Australia," Dr Baldock said. For Dr Baldock, the biggest concern with older drivers was that their inherent frailty meant any crash was more likely to result in injury. Swinburne University associate professor Amie Hayley has also investigated whether mandatory assessments of older drivers made roads safer. She found such measures did not translate to a meaningful difference in crash rates. Steps taken in Japan to cognitively screen older drivers for conditions such as dementia suggested a possible solution, but those too came with drawbacks. "[They] did translate to a reduction in road traffic crashes but paradoxically that also resulted in a higher proportion of older pedestrians becoming injured," she said. "If we're looking at driving performance among older people and assessing their risk of crashes, it needs to be a system which can incorporate things like cognitive performance, mental acuity, but also physical health as well." Ben Rogers, Council on the Ageing Victoria (COTA) chief executive, said Victoria led the country on older-driver policy, despite having less screening. "Driving should be based on ability and not your age," he said. "A system that is based on ability rather than age is more likely to capture, for instance, when someone who is aged 45 who really should not be driving, should be taken off the road." Mr Rogers said he wanted to see more proactive support for drivers. "For instance, we have previously called for greater investment in driver-awareness programmes, which can often be inaccessible due to cost," he said. Mr Rogers said the presumption older drivers were more at risk or more at fault was ageist, adding that consideration had to be given to the isolation and mental health impact of an older person having their licence taken off them. Anita Muñoz, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Victoria chair, said the organisation did not believe Victoria should impose mandatory annual medical check. But those over 65 should be asking their GP for help answering the question of whether they should keep driving, it said. While advanced age was not innately a barrier to safe driving, Dr Muñoz said people's reflexes, ability to see clearly, and judgement all changed as they aged. "Everyone of any age must recognise their personal responsibility for the actions that they take. If you drive a car, you need to be certain that you will be a safe driver," she said. Shadow minister for road safety, Danny O'Brien, said regulation change was not needed. "While this is a terrible tragedy, we need to avoid hasty responses that might unfairly tarnish older drivers," he said. "The law already requires drivers to be medically fit for driving, and we support that." Victoria In Victoria, there are no mandatory medical checks or driving tests for the elderly. But all motorists are required by law to notify authorities if they have any illness that may prevent them from driving safely. If a driver is 75 years of over, they are offered the option to renew their licence every three years, rather than every 10 years. New South Wales From age 70, drivers with a multi-combination (MC) licence (required for the largest and most complex trucks and vehicles) require an annual medical assessment and bespoke test for older drivers. From 75, all licence holders are required to have medical assessments to assess their fitness to drive annually, and bespoke driver tests are required if a doctor recommends one. From 85, the same annual medical assessments are required, and driver tests are mandatory every two years. Queensland From age 75, drivers are required to have a doctor assess their medical fitness to drive every year and drivers must carry a current medical certificate while driving, issued by the doctor. Doctors can issue medical certificates for less than a year, if they feel more regular checks are required. Driving without a certificate can result in a fine of $161. South Australia Drivers and doctors are required by law to report medical conditions that affect ability to drive to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles. Such conditions can include alcohol or drug dependence, dementia, heart conditions, strokes, arthritis, eye issues, or blackouts. Elderly drivers can be required to undergo medical assessments, self-assessment and/or a practical driving assessment. Drivers are sent a self-assessment annually in the mail to complete from the age of 75. From 85, licence holders for other vehicles have to do an annual practical driving test, but this is not required of car drivers. Western Australia At 80, drivers must undergo an annual medical assessment before they can renew their licence. Mandatory practical driving assessments are not required by drivers aged 85 and older, unless recommended by a medical professional. However, these drivers still have to complete a licence renewal declaration. Tasmania In the past, compulsory annual driving assessments for Tasmanian drivers aged 85 or older were required, but this rule was scrapped in 2011, and it is now the elderly driver's responsibility to regularly assess their own fitness to drive. Older drivers are required to disclose any conditions that might affect their driving ability, and the valid period of licences issued after the driver turns 65 is five years. ACT Drivers aged 75 and over need to get annual medical assessments from their doctor. Drivers with heavy vehicle licences aged 70 and over also require annual medical examinations. Northern Territory The rules are similar to Victoria — there are no compulsory checks for older drivers. But drivers with a medical condition that may affect their ability to drive need to declare them to authorities.
ABC News
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- ABC News
Digital driver's licence anti-fraud technology described as 'cheap coding trick'
State governments are spruiking a "very cheap coding trick" as a high-tech anti-fraud measure for digital driver's licences, cybersecurity experts say. New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria have developed separate digital driver's licences. An "on-app hologram" featured on the NSW and Victoria licences has been spruiked as an anti-forgery measure. Cybersecurity professionals say the feature is not a true hologram, which requires significantly more advanced technology than phones can carry, let alone a secure way to validate a person's identity. They have called for the hologram feature to be removed and for governments to implement best-practice standards for digital identity documents. Thinking Cybersecurity chief executive Vanessa Teague said the hologram was "complete nonsense" and advice to the contrary was wrong. "It's not a security feature. Someone has conned someone who has purchasing power with public money and not enough technical understanding to see that it's completely invalid." The guidelines from Service Victoria and VicRoads instruct people checking the validity of a digital driver's licence to view the hologram. The Service NSW website lists six visual elements for those checking licences, one of which is to ensure the "waratah hologram" moves. Both governments instruct people checking licences to go beyond a visual check if they need "further verification", which is VicRoads' advice, or "extra reassurance" according to Service NSW. Software developer Michael Uren called that "appalling messaging", which opened up easy pathways to forgery that could allow underage people to buy alcohol or cigarettes, or enter a licensed premises. Earlier this month, a Mornington bar announced it would no longer accept digital IDs "due to way too many" fakes being presented. Mr Uren said he was also concerned fake licences could be used for more nefarious purposes like sharing fraudulent identification details at car accidents, signing rental agreements, or collecting items from post offices. He said while the "pulsing Queensland government crest" featured on its digital driver's licence was not marketed as a hologram, it should not be considered a security feature. The Queensland government website said visual checks should only be used for "low-risk verification" but did not define what that constituted. The Queensland digital driver's licence does meet international standards, but experts say allowing visual checks undermines that effort. The international standard, ISO 18013-5, outlines best practices about how digital licences are used, how information is shared, and how data is stored. "The app has gone through a range of security and penetration tests throughout its development and has passed these tests with flying colours," a spokesperson for Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads said. A Victorian government spokesperson said anyone verifying the legitimacy of a digital driver's licence should always scan the QR code. A spokesperson for Service NSW said the app has "multiple security features to prevent fraud" and the NSW government was running a pilot program of a verifiable photo credential to be built to international standards. Mr Uren said a key element of what makes physical driver's licences so difficult to replicate was the huge cost that would come with doing so convincingly. "There's a whole bunch of little physical things they put on those which are very expensive for anybody to come up with a printing process to do, to the point where it's unfeasible for somebody to do it," Mr Uren said. He said the "on-app hologram" featured on digital driver licences in Victoria and NSW was cheap and easy to replicate using generative AI. He said scanning the QR codes on digital licences was the only way to verify their validity and called on the state government to remove the feature from app-based driver's licences, or at the very least, change the verification instructions. "All it does is give people a false sense of security that when they wobble the screen around that's somehow showing it's a legitimate driver's licence when it just isn't the case," Mr Uren said. Ms Teague agreed the current advice was wrong and visual checks were not secure. "To me, it even raises the additional concern of whether the QR code scanning has been validly implemented. "It's very, very unclear whether there's really any genuine expertise in even getting the basic cryptographic design elements right and there's no public scrutiny." Ms Teague said implementing an international standard was the only way to ensure digital identification documents remained secure. "There's really no excuse for Australia not to be adopting one of those transparent standards," Ms Teague said. She said it was a far more secure approach than what was occurring in Australia. "We have at least four or five different things going on, each one of which has just been made up by people who apparently believe in holograms," she said. "In Australia, we insist on hiring some people who don't know what they're doing to make up their own thing instead of just adopting the secure standard from overseas. "We did this with the COVID app. There was a perfectly good international standard that was reasonably secure, instead we just made up our own rubbish that didn't work."
7NEWS
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Victorian drivers face $961 fines for not slowing down past tow trucks, roadside support or incident units
Victorian drivers could soon be fined up to $961 if they don't slow down when passing tow trucks, breakdown support vehicles or incident response units. From July 1, drivers will need to slow to 40km/h when passing these vehicles — in addition to emergency services and VicRoads incident response vehicles — when they are stationary or moving slowly with lights flashing or alarms sounding. The expanded rule will apply to Victoria Police, ambulances, fire services, the State Emergency Service, accident and breakdown towing, roadside assistance, incident response services and escort vehicles. The Victorian government announced the change on April 30, acknowledging the risks additional roadside workers face on the job. 'Incident response, roadside assistance and breakdown towing vehicles are there for us when we are in need – this change acknowledges the risks they take and our commitment to keeping them safe,' Roads Minister Melissa Horne said. Under the new rule, drivers must slow to 40km/h when passing emergency, incident response or roadside assistance vehicles that are stationary or moving below 10km/h with flashing red, blue, magenta or yellow lights, or with an alarm sounding. Vehicles are expected to pass the scene at 40km/h and be able to stop if directed, even on high-speed roads like freeways. Drivers can only return to the legal speed limit once they've passed the scene and reached a safe distance, which may vary depending on the situation. 'You should be aware of the individual circumstances of each incident and drive accordingly,' the road rule advises. In emergencies, law enforcement and emergency vehicles such as ambulances, fire trucks, or police are not required to follow these road rules. However, when these vehicles are moving with their lights and/or sirens on, drivers must give way. Drivers in Victoria face fines of up to $961 if they don't comply with the new law. A 2024 survey by the Road Worker Safety Working Group, involving more than 1100 road workers, found almost one in four had witnessed or been involved in a near miss with a member of the public. Nearly one in 10 said they had been hit by a vehicle in a collision involving a road worker. Victoria is the last state or territory in Australia to introduce these expanded protections.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Drivers debate obscure Aussie road rule marking attracting $600 fine: 'So confusing'
It's a familiar frustration for Aussie drivers — confusing road markings and missing signs that turn everyday parking into a guessing game. In Melbourne's southeast this week, one local has sparked debate online after spotting a fire hydrant next to a painted parking bay in Mount Waverley, unsure if it's legal to park there. Beside the hydrant on the street is a triangle pointing toward it, but further to the left is a white parking line. In Victoria, road rules state drivers must leave a one-metre gap from hydrants unless signage allows otherwise. But as the Melburnian pointed out, there was no such signage in the location. "There isn't a signpost, and what's the point of the painted parking line on the left?" they asked. The lack of a sign — and the presence of a marked bay — left many scratching their heads. Some argued the space was designed for parking. "Yes, it's ok to park there," a person commented. "Council won't fine you for parking in a marked bay unless you don't comply with parking signage — seems there is no parking signage here." That notion prompted another person to respond: "Interesting, because we had a fire hydrant in front of our house and parked there without a problem for over 20 years." "Why do they make the road rules so confusing?" they asked. Others warned that fire safety regulations take precedence, urging drivers to steer clear even if the area looks legal. "The hydrant rule definitely supercedes painted car parks," another weighed in. "A parking inspector or firefighter isn't going to care if they come to give you a ticket or have to push your car out of the way with their truck to get a hose connected." But according to VicRoads, the department in charge of the state's transport department, drivers are not permitted to stop, park, or leave their vehicle within one metre of a fire hydrant, fire hydrant indicator, or fire plug indicator — unless they're operating a public bus, taxi or minibus. Drivers warned major road rule change with $961 fines 'just weeks' away Common road act that carries a fine in every Aussie state Drivers warned cars and wages could be seized over $160 million issue Importantly, that one-metre rule refers to the horizontal distance between the hydrant and the vehicle on the road, not how far the hydrant sits back from the kerb, which explains the white line on the left. So unless you're in an exceptionally small car, it's best to steer clear. Failing to comply can result in a $118 fine, rising to $122 from July 1 due to indexation, or a maximum court-imposed penalty of up to $592 (increasing to $610). Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Herald Sun
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
Victorian drivers face $960 fine for not slowing to pass tow trucks
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. Drivers will need to slow down when passing tow trucks, roadside mechanics and emergency traffic management workers under expanded laws in Victoria. The 40km/h slow down rules previously only applied when emergency services and VicRoads incident response vehicles were stopped on the side of the road, but the extended rules were announced by the state government on Wednesday. 'Incident response, roadside assistance and breakdown towing vehicles are there for us when we are in need – this change acknowledges the risks they take and our commitment to keeping them safe,' Roads Minister Melissa Horne said. 'It is the responsibility of all drivers to familiarise themselves with this road rule and to always slow to 40km/h past responding vehicles – for the safety of workers and all road users.' The rule applies when motorists see any vehicle with flashing red, blue, magenta or yellow lights stopped on the side of the road. Drivers can be fined up to $961 for breaking the rule. RACV executive, Makarla Cole, said the change brought Victoria up to the national standard. 'Victoria's emergency roadside workers and tow truck drivers are often the first and only responders to an incident or breakdown and are exposed to the same risks to other responders, such as police and paramedics,' Ms Cole said. 'I am sure every driver who has needed the help of an emergency roadside assistance worker or tow truck driver will be pleased to know that the Victorian Government is now protecting these essential responders in their workplace, and their customers.' The expanded rules take effect July 1. Workers from accident towing companies, breakdown towing, roadside assistance, Peninsula Link Incident Response, Eastlink Incident Response and Transurban Incident Response will be covered by the change. Originally published as Victorian drivers face $960 fine for not slowing to pass tow trucks
