Sometimes I think that our system is designed to keep us in the
driver’s seat. Even in an urban area, you need a vehicle to get around
with convenience. Bend a few vehicles? Pay ICBC a (relatively) few
dollars more and they take care of the big bills. Can’t
or won’t follow the driving rules? Pay for a few penalty points and
don’t worry, you have to get a lot of tickets before they take your
licence away. Had your licence taken away? Probably not for very long,
even if you killed someone.
Last week’s episode of Nova, Look Who’s Driving Now, was about
autonomous vehicles. One of the experts interviewed expressed the
opinion that driving a vehicle is probably the most demanding cognitive
task that most people do on a daily basis. I’m sure that
you won’t be surprised to find that there are many examples in the
program where drivers disengaged their brain to do things other than
drive while they were behind the wheel.
Our system of driver licensing pays fairly close attention to the first
three years of a driver’s career. You spend a year as a Learner, pass a
test, spend two years as a Novice, pass a test and you are now a fully
privileged driver. The restrictions on speed,
number of passengers, alcohol use, new driver signs and supervision are
at an end.
After that, unless you prove to be incapable, you may pay a renewal fee
every five years and not get looked at again until you turn 80.
I once checked a driver who had missed two renewals of his licence. He’d
driven for more than 10 years with no licence at all! The only reason I
found him was because I was conducting a road check and asking all
drivers to show me their driver’s licence.
I’ve been driving for more than 40 years now and can say from experience
that there have been many changes to driving in BC since I was 16. In
all that time, no one has checked to see if I have been keeping my
knowledge current.
There was one test that I had to take at my last renewal, could I still
see well enough to drive without corrective lenses? I could, but I still
prefer to drive with my glasses on. I like to see where I’m going in as
sharp a focus as I can.
Aside from new laws and road improvements that complicate my
interactions with others, if I buy a new vehicle I will find myself
sitting in the driver’s seat with a host of driving assists. Some are
mandated by Transport Canada and others I might choose on
my own as options.
After finishing up with my purchase, I could decide to hop in and drive
my shiny new computerized vehicle away without any instruction at all
about how to maintain, use or misuse all these systems.
So, if I keep my head down, don’t bump into too many things or run afoul
of traffic enforcement, I can keep driving until I turn 80 and no one
will ever check to see if I should still be behind the wheel and have
the requisite knowledge of the system to follow
it effectively.
Even after I turn 80, the regular testing is aimed at making sure that I
have the necessary cognitive ability to drive, not that I actually know
how to.
Can you think of any other complex, changing system today that allows
it’s users to carry on without training updates and testing? We’ll see
you when I turn 80!
Story URL:
https://www.drivesmartbc.ca/driver-licencing/well-see-you-when-you-turn-80
—
Constable Tim Schewe (Retired)
DriveSmartBC: Where better than average road users satisfy their curiosity.