Thousands of Australian motorists have been told to expect emails in the coming days, informing them of a major technical glitch that may mean they’re ineligible to drive.
The Queensland government announced this week that some 17,000 drivers with health conditions across the state have been allowed to renew their driver’s licences without up-to-date medical certificates. It’s believed the glitch in the system has enabled people to renew their licences digitally, without the appropriate documentation, since as early as 2020.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Queensland government implemented a temporary solution that allowed drivers to update their licences online without visiting a service centre in person. This change was meant to make it easier for individuals to renew their licences while avoiding crowded public spaces, especially for those with underlying health conditions.
But a technical “error” has meant that this hasn’t been happening for five years, meaning thousands of motorists across the Sunshine State with certain health conditions have been on the road without having the necessary clearance.
A technical error has allowed 17,000 drivers in Queensland to remain on the road without proper documentation, according to Steve Minnikin. Source: Queensland government
Minister for customer services and open data Steve Minnikin said impacted drivers should expect emails in the coming days. They’ll then be given one month to provide proof they’re fit to drive.
“The first of the emails will be going out today,” Minnikin said, 9News reported. “We’ll make sure that we make it as easy as possible for those people [who] need to update their latest medical certificate to be able to do so.
“The key thing is making sure that now that we’ve discovered this error in the system, we actually remedy it as soon as possible.”
Calls mount to ensure all drivers are fit to drive
The issue comes as calls grow in Australia for some drivers to undergo more rigorous and regular testing to remain on the roads, amid a soaring death toll. Eyes have been on older drivers in particular, after a 91-year-old motorist recently lost control of her car in Melbourne’s east and ploughed into a playground, leaving a two-year-old boy in hospital and killing his grandparents.
Victoria’s Road Minister, Melissa Horne, confirmed she asked her department to launch a review into the regulations around elderly drivers’ licences. But researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast are hoping to provide physicians with “better tools to accurately assess cognitive fitness” by examining brain activity and how it relates to driving.
“At present, there are no standardised assessment tools available to GPs and health practitioners to help them assess cognitive fitness to drive,” Senior Research Fellow Dr Kayla Stefanidis had earlier told Yahoo. “There is a real need for the development of valid and reliable measures of cognitive fitness to drive.”
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