Driving assessment for older taxi drivers in Singapore

Aims Licensing authorities in different countries differ in their approaches to the use of age based licensing, medical fitness and driving assessments. This article describes a new licensing policy introduced in Singapore in 2006 whereby driving assessment by occupational therapists became a critical stage in the licensing process for older taxi drivers. Preliminary data on the older taxi drivers are presented. Implications for future studies and clinical intervention are discussed. Methods Information was gained from the Land Transport Authority of Singapore on current taxi drivers, the projected number of taxi drivers aged 70 years who were eligible to renew their licences in 2008, 2009, 2010, and any data on accidents, demerit points and complaints against taxi drivers. Information about the 70 year old taxi drivers that had undergone the functional driving assessment program in 2006 and 2007 was gained from the Department of Occupational Therapy. This information was analysed. Findings There was a very high pass rate - 98% of those aged 70 or over who took the test, passed. Conclusions The high pass rate needs further exploration. Future research can explore the cost effectiveness of the licensing and driving assessment systems in terms of accident rates, the validity of on road tests and useful predictive off road tests.