Most mornings start the same for Graham Brennan.<\/p>\n
He’s up and out the door early, cruising the tame streets of the outback Queensland town he calls home.<\/p>\n
At 92, it’s this routine that keeps the nonagenarian feeling decades younger.<\/p>\n
“I can’t quite believe it myself, I feel about 50 or 60,” he quips.<\/p>\n
“I love being independent and doing what I want to do, when I want to do, how I want to do it.”<\/p>\n
Staying in the driver’s seat<\/p>\n
Graham Brennan still cherishes his car and licence, which allow him to go about his day as he pleases. (ABC News: Meghan Dansie\/Sharon Gordon)<\/p>\n
Mr Brennan lives in the remote mining city of Mount Isa, almost 2,000 kilometres from Queensland’s capital.<\/p>\n
Without public transport, options for getting around are limited for ageing locals.<\/p>\n
If he didn’t have a licence, the 92-year-old would have to walk long distances in temperatures that hover above 30 degrees Celsius for much of the year.<\/p>\n
After a stint in a car repair shop thanks to a busted gasket, Mr Brennan was given a taste of the alternative.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Living in regional Queensland, Graham Brennan can’t imagine life without his licence. (ABC North West Qld: Meghan Dansie)<\/p>\n
“There’s no bus, there’s a fairly long walk so sometimes I will get a cab home because it’s a long way back and it’s uphill,” Mr Brennan says.<\/p>\n
“I was shaking all over when I got the call to say it was done.<\/p>\n
“That was just earth-shaking really, I was so glad.”‘Capability rather than age’<\/p>\n
In Queensland, there is no upper age limit for a licence, but stringent annual health checks help keep ageing drivers and the broader public safe.<\/p>\n
Drivers aged 75 and over must attend a licence medical check every 12 months and always carry a medical certificate.<\/p>\n
Mr Brennan’s GP, Michael Mbaogu, conducts assessments like these every day.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In Queensland, drivers 75 years and above who want to stay on the roads must pass an annual check. (ABC News: Emily Dobson\/Sharon Gordon)<\/p>\n
“A lot is riding on the back of these licences [in regional Queensland],” Dr Mbaogu says.<\/p>\n
“If you’re unable to drive, then you cannot go where you want.<\/p>\n
“In a place like this, they need a vehicle to get around.<\/p>\n
“I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s the secret to a long life, but it makes a lot of difference.”<\/p>\n
There’s a delicate balance between public safety and maintaining patient wellbeing and quality of life.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Michael Mbaogu says Graham Brennan would be one of the older drivers he has assessed. (ABC North West Qld: Emily Dobson)<\/p>\n
“It’s not just about cognitive impairment \u2026 we can refer to specialists to check hearing, eyesight, blood pressure,” Dr Mbaogu says.<\/p>\n
“If we’re not sure, we will send them for a practical driving assessment, and if they’re not fit to operate a motor vehicle, they will not get a certificate.”<\/p>\n