Rural police department asks public to report older drivers

Seniors and senior advocates are crying foul after a local police department began asking residents to report older drivers who appear to have driving problems.

As reported by, the The North East Dementia Network Coalition Safe Driving Task Force was established last month in Sudbury, Ontario with the intention of preventing unsafe driving, but opponents say it smacks of age discrimination.

04-23 car“If [someone] is really erratic, sure, rat people out. The thing is, that’s not what’s happening here,” Susan Eng of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), told the news outlet. “This is targeting older people.”

But police officers with the task force say they are simply taking precautions, and examining leads when they come in, and not jumping to conclusions immediately.

Sudbury Constable Meghan O’Malley told the news outlet that if there is a call made about an older person, police officers will go to that person’s home and speak to them, and if necessary, investigate further to see if they pose a risk to themselves or others by driving.

What do you think of the task force’s new initiative? Is it a smart way to protect older drivers, or is it unfair to older people? Tell us in the comment section below: