'Driving is a privilege which carries significant risk to other road users.' Photo / Getty Images
A driver’s licence is a privilege
It is disappointing that neither David Fisher’s article on the tragic death of Doug Domigan (HoS, Nov 17) nor Murray Hunter’s letter (Nov 24) decrying medical testing for elderly drivers was accompanied by an alternative viewpoint.
Unfortunately many people, not only elderly, are not permitted to drive due to medical conditions that increase their accident risk. Even more are unable to have commercial or heavy traffic licences.
Assessment is complex, the handbook “Medical aspects of fitness to drive” runs to 133 pages.
The medical examination was brought in as an alternative to on-road tests from age 75 in December 2006, after intensive lobbying from Grey Power, who thought the on-road test too onerous.
It is ironic that the same organisation now thinks the medical testing is too stringent. A failed medical usually leads to an on-road test or occupational therapy assessment.
Driving is a privilege which carries significant risk to other road users. Therefore there has to be testing, and the police, who have the unenviable task of protecting us from each other, have to be able to temporarily suspend this privilege pending a driver having further assessment.
Most elderly drivers know when they need to limit or stop their driving.
But I and many others have suffered the anxiety of having an elderly parent, who was plainly unfit, insist on continuing to drive. I was very grateful for the testing and police intervention that finally prevented him from harming himself or others.
Christine Laws, Herne Bay.
Demeaning exercise
At age 80 once again the excruciating mental test with the doctor to renew my driving licence, and it will be required again every two years.
This test of mind games for many seniors is a very stressful and a horrible demeaning exercise. I have been driving without any accidents for 65 years and this is an indignity not visited on Australian or United Kingdom citizens.
I have no problem conducting any driving or eyesight test, but this mind game designed to trip me up often causes a racing pulse and my mind going blank.
The thought of losing my licence and independence is enough to cause sleepless nights and panic in the test.
Vince West, Milford.
Bring back UE
When we had University Entrance and School Certificate, with clear and universal goals set in concrete for students and teachers alike to achieve, we had one of the best recognised education systems in the world.
Until the powers that be decided we should have NCEA, with a whole new raft of assessments including internal assessments in each individual school by individual teachers, adding obfuscation and variance from school to school. If we are honest we’ve arrived at the shambles our education system is in today.
Perhaps politicians crying out for the revolution needed to lift standards in education should take a leaf out of Buck Shelford’s book and in good old-fashioned Kiwi style shout from every rooftop “Bring back University Entrance and School Certificate”.
This at the very least as a starting point to get education back on track.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Tackling obesity
Tinkering with IT costs and backroom staff numbers is unlikely to produce the needed step-change in health sector priorities and outcomes.
Two suggestions: firstly a sugar tax should be adopted with urgency. Since this was introduced in the UK in 2018, overall sugar consumption has dropped by 35%, which speaks for itself.
Secondly, restrictions on or the elimination of fast food advertising would stop the cynical use of rugby players promoting fried chicken and Santa Clauses currently pushing a well-known soft drink brand.
At least with the latter, there is no pretence that consuming these products will turn you into a slim and vibrant athlete, but overall the behaviours being paraded by the barrage of fast food primetime ads are doing nothing more than accelerate an unstoppable rise in obesity-related diseases in this country.
Duncan Simpson, Hobsonville Point.
Keeping calm
I would like to thank Heather du Plessis-Allan for her very well-written opinion article on the Treaty Principles Bill (HoS, Nov 24). In a nutshell she just says calm down.
Listen and read. Don’t over-react like the Māori Party, Labour Party and former National Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, to mention a few. And thank you Herald on Sunday for allowing us the readers to get two sides of a story.
Bruce Turner, Cambridge.
Real leadership
In 1964 segregation was made illegal in the United States. People in the south were outraged.
The first black student to enter a white university, James Meredith, had to be escorted by a squad of US Marshalls, against a huge angry crowd led by the Governor - 166 marshalls and 48 soldiers were injured and two civilian bystanders died. That was the depth of public feeling.
JFK and his brother Bobby, the Attorney General, did not gauge the wishes of the people and do what the people wanted. They did what was right – they made sure black people could be accepted into every arm of society. Meredith was assigned armed guards throughout his university years.
Your correspondents who want our Government to follow the wishes of the majority in an issue such as a capital gains tax, should remember the Kennedys. They were leaders, they knew what was best for the country and they stood up and made it happen.
We need such people in government, who lead us to accept policies that make a better country, instead of following the polls and public opinion. We elect them to lead, not to follow.
Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.
Testing venues
This ‘Summer of Cricket’ sees very few test matches scheduled for Auckland. This is because while Eden Park seems OK for T20 and one-day matches it is deemed unsuitable for tests.
So, I’m thinking we need to try and replicate Hagley Park in Christchurch and develop a new venue here at a park in New Zealand’s biggest city. Western Springs was talked about, however, my understanding is that after Speedway shifts to Waikaraka Park it might become the home base for the new Auckland FC.
This leaves either the Domain or Victoria Park as possible options for Auckland’s new cricket test match venue. Both are close to bus routes and would be fairly easy for people to get to. Also, both are in park settings, which is ideal, and are currently being used for club cricket matches.
Can either one of these be designated for test cricket and the required changes be made to the grounds in time to host matches next summer so Auckland fans don’t miss out.
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.
Haters gonna hate
There is nothing new about people attempting to discover deeper interpretations of songs. A notable example would be Helter Skelter by the Beatles.
But regardless of whether these songs are written under the influence of drugs or in Taylor Swift’s case churned out by a song factory which guarantees them the shelf life of a mango, the deeper truths if they exist remain elusive (HoS, Nov 24).
I have never considered Taylor Swift an in-depth person although I believe she once had an affair, broke it off, wrote a song about it and then sung the song shortly after at the concert.
Possibly there could be some deeper truths for the students at AUT to search for in this.
Neil D. McCabe, Wellington.
Test your knowledge with the Herald's afternoon quiz.