Mum has been on a restricted licence since getting her Alzheimer's diagnosis. She's only allowed to drive to within 5km of home. Initially, I thought this was quite a harsh thing to do, but after time, I realise it is the right thing to do. She no longer has the confidence to drive long distances. Or deal with some of the responsibilities of driving (like being involved in accidents and the stress and confusion it causes).
I got a phone call recently from my mother telling me that she'd re-sat her driving test and they'll be giving her full licence back. Oh the joy and logic of the "system". So, it would make "so much sense" that someone who hasn't driven distances in over 2 years, someone who hasn't driven in the city in over 2 years, someone who has been diagnosed with early onset alzheimers, and parkinsons, who suffers from chronic fatigue, constant and chronic pain (feet, legs and back), and poor mobility would get their drivers licence back, after doing a couple of laps around the block, was deemed competent and fit to drive. Even though, with all her health issues, you are going to give her licence back, to only have to take it away again probably within a couple of years anyway. At which point, she won't be able to comprehend why her licence has been taken away, or even remember that it has been taken away.
Roll on the memories of decades gone by, of my grandfather storming off down to the local police station abusing them regularly, trying to convince them that there was nothing wrong with him, and that he needed his licence back. It's a funny story to recall now, that he's gone, but I'm pretty sure it put my poor nanna under huge pressure, and enormous embarrassment that he was a regular feature at the local police station.
So after a bit of conversation, I find out that when she got the letter from the licencing people that she needed to get her certificate to drive signed and re-sit the driving test. Her normal GP is overseas, so she went to see the new GP in town (never met her before). So, in she goes to her 5, maybe 10 minute appointment and the new GP scans over her medical history, whatever happens to be in the system visible to her, and decides that mum is "fit to drive".
I contacted the licencing people who, agreed with me, but had no power to make any changes to the situation, as the Dr has signed her off as fit to drive. The lovely lady at licencing said she'd hold off on sending the letter, so I got a chance to contact the GP to see if I could make them see sense. I wrote and advised the GP that because of all of mums health problems, I think the right decision was made by mums regular GP, whom she had known over many years, who had been through the merry go round with mum through her knee replacements, her alzheimers diagnosis, the long drawn out process that it was, the parkinsons diagnosis, the pain, the depression, the fatigue, the menopause, the whole lot. I asked that she re-think her position and keep mum on a restricted licence.
I haven't heard anything, but I can tell you what, if she gets her full licence back, and ends up having an accident, I'll be knocking on that GP's door and reminding them about their actions.
I feel it is a massive flaw in the licencing laws in Australia. You can go to a complete stranger GP and they can sign an elderly and sick person off as "fit to drive", no questions asked. Obviously the GP's don't want to get to be known as "not signing the driving forms", it will deter people from going to that GP. But, isn't it their duty of care to seriously question why someone was put on a restricted licence and perhaps to a bit of further investigation before signing off?
I had a similar sitation with someone else I have known who has some very serious and complex vision issues, and continues to be signed of as "fit to drive". I certainly wouldn't get in a car with either of these people driving, so why would they continue to keep their licences.
