Drivers over 65 may see themselves re-sitting their driving test, after a Bill drafted by Phoenix Community College was passed in the Legislative Assembly of Youth Parliament on Tuesday.

The Bill for ‘Mandatory driving tests for elderly citizens’ was introduced by Phoenix team member, Maddison Sharp.

“Our Bill aims to prevent incidents before they occur, and as residents living in Victoria, we have the right to live in a safe environment,” she said.

“Young people are enforced to undergo a test before they receive their license, does it not make sense to be reassessed fifty years down the track?”

“A motor vehicle is 1 tonne of metal with the power to kill,” fellow team member, Joshua Liston said. “This should be seen as a weapon, and it cannot be argued that a 65-year-old can still use this weapon without taking appropriate means to test them”.

However refuting team, AIME couldn’t believe the “indecency” in taking away the elderly’s license.

“How are they supposed to get to and from their jobs? If they’re fit to work, then they are fit to drive … and if they weren’t fit to drive, a doctor would tell them,” team member, Kylah Lewis said. “Not only is 65 years a young age, but revoking their license is completely unfair.”

AIME representative, Brittany Paxton said that with P-platers holding the highest level of responsibility in car crashes, drivers over 65 shouldn’t be the ones being tested.

“If someone asked a 25 year old to re-sit their test … well I know I would personally be shocked, and that’s the same as at the age of 65,” she said.

“My nana is almost 80-years-of-age, but she knows she is uncomfortable driving at night so she doesn’t do it. She avoids the risks, and a lot of elderly citizens do too. We can’t just take away their feeling of independence”.

After a heated debate, the Bill was successfully passed with no division.

Phoenix team member, Jackson Ford said he was “pretty excited” that their Bill was successful.

“It’s a pretty big thing. Now we are just hoping that it can actually become law.”

by Jess Howard