After ignoring discriminatory testing of older drivers by the Provinces of Ontario, Alberta and B.C. for approximately two years, senior advocacy group CARP has finally come out and stated that this is discrimination.
In fact, CARP not only ignored the abuse of senior drivers, but Susan Eng, Director of CARP actually commended the Ontario Minister of Transportation on his discriminatory actions:
“Driving plays an important role in helping seniors maintain their independence. These
changes strike the right balance in keeping everyone safe on the road by using evidence based methods to test the ability to drive safely.*
Susan Eng
CARP vice-president, advocacy.
With so-called advocacy association leadership behaving this way and claiming that such discrimination is not only justified, but that the actions are ‘evidence based’ when in fact the experts and researchers in aging all state that the ‘testing’ is discriminatory and based on non-peer reviewed nonsense, is really scary.
One has to wonder whether, if, instead of advocating for more age-based discrimination like this, Susan Eng, in her position as a paid advocate for senior welfare, could have instead helped to end this discrimination before it started and saved thousands of innocent senior drivers much distress.
Here is a letter from a CARP member to Susan Eng that went ignored until finally enough CARP members said ‘enough already’ and CARP has started to assist CARP members in BC:
From: kmaclennan7@xxxx
To: community@carp.ca
Sent: 30/08/2014 10:12:40 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Attention: CARP Board of directors
For your information on June 27, 2014 I mailed a letter to Susan Eng, Executive Director seeking moral and financial support of CARP in my Notice of Motion for Leave to appeal the Ottawa Divisional court ruling dismissing my Notice of Judicial Review of s. 16(a) of O. Reg. 340/94 of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act .
The essence my application, acting presumptively on behalf of the citizens of Ontario , alleged that the Ontario government is guilty of age discrimination in violating the Charter’s Section 15 (1) Equal Protection and Equal Benefit of the law in requiring that those 80 and over are subject to an individualized program every two years in order to renew their driver’s license.
I regret that Ms. Eng, as Executive Director for an organization that pretends to represent seniors has not responded to my June 27, 2014 letter requesting moral and financial support.
Ken MacLennan
Cornwall, Ontario
(613) 932-xxxx
In the June 2015 Zoomer Magazine, page 92, Bruce Bird, Chair of the CARP’s North Fraser Chapter, Argues that ” B.C. should scrap it’s regulation that requires all drivers over 80 must complete a DriveABLE medical test.
There is no evidence to prove senior drivers are any worse drivers than any other group.
Congratulations to Bruce Bird, and maybe now, the general membership of CARP will demand they be treated fairly, and with justice by the Provinces of Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
How about contributing to the legal fund to help stop this? www.StopElderDriverAbuse.ca
How about signing MPP Hillier’s Petition if you live in Ontario? Petition