Dubai to introduce eye and health checkups for drivers aged 50 years and older

As the age advances, the reaction time on road for drivers also get affected

Abu Dhabi: Dubai Police are planning to introduce new eye and health checkups for renewing the licence of drivers who are 50 years or above, an official said on Tuesday.

“Eye tests and complete health checkup for those who are 50 years and above may be implemented from 2018,” said Saad Ahmad Al Sabhan, head of drivers’ advanced training section at the Dubai Police’s Traffic Department, told Gulf News.

“When a person gets old, he faces diverse health issues, so his health and eyesight should be examined for his own safety and the safety of other road users,” he said.

Under the current system, a driver gets a licence with a 10-year validity.

“We aim to reduce the traffic accident deaths to zero per 100,000 by 2020 in Dubai, while in all other emirates, it’s 2021.”

Currently, Dubai has about three road deaths per 100,000 population.

Al Sabhan was speaking with Gulf News on the sidelines of the Serco Middle East Road Safety Day. Serco, along with RoadSafetyUAE, organised the day in Ghantoot on Tuesday.

“We are making all-out efforts to reduce the number of accidents and deaths in Dubai and we are holding lectures and educating people from the school to the university, and using new technologies, changing rules, and wiping out very old cars from the roads,” Al Sabhan said.