Health tests for drivers - a controversial measure, but which, according to a survey, is supported by many. But not all age groups see it the same way.
Kassel - Although the federal government continues to have heated discussions about mandatory health checks for older drivers, public opinion seems to be less polarized. A recent YouGov survey commissioned by auto supplier Continental produced some unexpected results.
Last year, Transport Minister Volker Wissing expressed his concerns about mandatory health checks for pensioners and seniors to the Funke media group. He resolutely opposed the fact that “the individual is increasingly made into an object, has to undergo compulsory examinations and go about his everyday life according to a catalog of regulations”. Surprisingly, almost two-thirds of respondents in the current survey seem to have a different opinion.
Health checks for drivers: The majority of Germans support compulsory health checks for pensioners and senior citizens
Of those surveyed, 64 percent supported medical examinations to check driving ability for all age groups of drivers. Slightly fewer, but still more than half (53 percent) of those surveyed were of the opinion that the validity of the driving license for seniors and pensioners aged 70 and over should be tied to such tests.
Respondents also believed that the intervals between health checks should not be too long. Almost half (49 percent) advocated short examination intervals for drivers. The maximum time between health tests should be two years.
Driver's license test compulsory for pensioners and seniors: 18 to 29 year olds in particular are in favor of this
The YouGov survey surveyed representatively selected citizens aged 18 and over from all over Germany in March 2055. Interestingly, regular health checks were particularly popular among the youngest group of respondents. An impressive majority of 75 percent of 18 to 29 year olds found regular health checks to be useful.
However, the situation was different for those over 70 years old. About half of these respondents only supported such tests if they were not made a condition for renewing a driver's license. Limiting driving licenses from the age of 70 with a health check before each renewal was rejected by 73 percent of respondents in this age group, while 71 percent of 18 to 29 year olds supported this idea. A similar pattern was already evident in a comparable driving license survey last year.
Mandatory driving license health tests: Wissing has already rejected the EU proposal
With regard to specific dangerous situations in road traffic, 50 percent of those surveyed found bad weather to be particularly unpleasant. 49 percent expressed complaints about other road users, while 48 percent felt unsafe when visibility was poor. In the age group over 70, night driving was disproportionately cited as problematic by 42 percent.
The EU Parliament decided in March to leave it to EU member states whether they want to introduce mandatory regular health checks for drivers. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing has already rejected this for Germany. The EU Commission had originally planned to make health checks for older drivers - as they already exist in several EU countries - mandatory across Europe.
(slo/dpa)