In his five-year career as a driving instructor, Rob Carey has only suggested surrendering a licence to two seniors. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 very rare you鈥檒l see an older person doing something wrong, but you do see it and then they get stereotyped into it. Or, 鈥極h they鈥檙e doing 50 km/h,鈥� but that鈥檚 the speed limit,鈥� said the Valley Driving School instructor. 

He said ICBC wants drivers to see, think, and do 鈥� see something, think about it, and then react to it. 

The most common mistake Carey sees drivers making is not abiding by the speed limit. 

鈥淣ot stopping at the stop sign, not stopping at red lights before turning, not considering if there鈥檚 something there,鈥� he said. 

Carey calls it 鈥渞ush brain,鈥� a term he鈥檚 coining to describe when a driver is focused on cutting the time of their drive as short as possible 鈥� even when they鈥檙e only saving seconds, he explained. 

鈥淚f we are doing the speed limit, it does afford us the time to react to anything and be able to stop in time鈥� it takes a second for our brain to tell our hands and feet what to do.鈥� 

He even suggested that 鈥渞ush hour鈥� not be called such anymore because it implies speed. 

On the other hand, Carey finds it鈥檚 easier to teach new drivers to follow good driving habits because they have no experience. By having them practise from the get-go, they will hopefully hang on to good and safe habits. 

A challenge with older drivers is having bad habits that have been developed over decades, because habits are hard to break. But speed isn鈥檛 the common issue Carey sees with senior drivers. 

鈥淚 find that they are so set in their ways that there are no shoulder checks, although they might be doing the speed limit, they might not look behind them,鈥� he said. 

For the two senior drivers who Carey recommended surrendering their licences, one wasn鈥檛 shoulder checking and the other didn鈥檛 realize they hit a curb twice before Carey began correcting the steering wheel. 

At least one of them said they would surrender their licence the next day. 

Carey shared that he thinks drivers caught speeding should have harsher punishments, such as a new driver goes back to a learner鈥檚 licence, or a Class 5 driver goes back to a new driver鈥檚 status. 

He did praise the program鈥檚 changes since he took his driver鈥檚 test 40 years ago, including the no-tolerance policy for alcohol. 

Only under rare and unique circumstances will age play a part in a driver鈥檚 licence being revoked. 

Leanne Cassap with 91原创 ICBC explained that the Enhanced Road Assessment most often comes from the recommendation of a physician. 

She said it is only an assessment, which is mandatory for those 80 years of age or older to take every two years. Failure to take the ERA will result in cancellation of one鈥檚 driver鈥檚 licence. 

Results are sent to RoadSafe BC, and if any traffic violations, dangerous actions, or other safety concerns were reported during the ERA, a learner鈥檚 licence is issued while RoadSafe BC reviews the file further. 

The assessment includes a pre-trip vehicle orientation and a 45-minute drive, followed by a post-trip review. 

Carey said driving lessons aren鈥檛 necessary for everyone, but encouraged for those who want to check in on their bad habits. He recommends asking a loved one to be a passenger and note any safety concerns during a drive. 

Other things he recommends to older drivers are to practice exercises for their upper back, shoulders, and neck to ensure mobility doesn鈥檛 become an issue for shoulder checking. 

He also noted that some medications can affect cognitive focus, awareness, and/or reaction time, so he suggests drivers go over the side effects with a doctor in case that鈥檚 having an impact. 

For those who can no longer drive or who choose to surrender their licence, there are various options to get around the 91原创s, including public transportation and HandyDart. 

Additionally, the 91原创 Senior Resources Society has volunteers who offer transportation to appointments and grocery shopping help. Seniors can arrange this service by calling 604-530-3020, extension 305 or 306. 

People wanting to learn more about the ERA can visit .