A magistrate said she was surprised a 90-year-old driver who crashed into two women, causing “horrific” injuries, had a licence. Raymond Oliver Young admitted two counts of careless driving causing grievous bodily harm or bodily harm in Rockingham Magistrate’s Court last week. Police prosecutor Robert Coales said the circumstances were “horrific” for both the victims — a 79-year-old woman and her daughter — and for Young, who had led an “outstanding life” until the incident. He said at 10.43am on March 7, 2019, Young had been driving on Goddard Street but was distracted and swerved to avoid a bus. He crossed the median strip and crashed head-on into a car coming the other way. The older woman was left with spinal injuries and a fractured clavicle. The other occupant of the car, the woman’s daughter, was left with less-serious injuries including deep vein thrombosis, which had “endangered her health but not her life”. Sgt Coales said the case required him to remove his emotions and point out driving was “a privilege and not a right.” He also said there was no clear way to resolve the case due to Young’s age, but suggested a fine would be the most appropriate outcome Young’s lawyer, Melissa Louw, told the court her client would not normally drive and had only done so out of necessity and was now “remorseful”. Magistrate Vivian Edwards said she was pleased to hear that Young had given up his licence. She fined him $6000 plus court costs and disqualified him for driving. There are strict rules around the licensing of drivers aged 80 and over, and even stricter guidelines for those older than 85 including annual medical assessments. Shadow transport minister Libby Mettam said safety on the road was paramount, but it was important to consider all aspects that lead to WA crash statistics. “Research data shows that older drivers do not pose an unacceptable risk on our roads, compared to other factors such as inattention,” she said. She left the door open to reviewing renewal processes if statistics showed it was necessary.
