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Happy Birthday Mike.
That letter does sound discriminating, but being from VIC I have no idea whether or not this is standard practise, some SA regulars here will advise either way. I presume other 70 year old, or older, SA motorcyclists have questionned this matter, and will be able to provide a more helpful response. Aye Langers, did you get such a letter?
It would be interesting to know what specific bit of legislation requires a motorcyclist to get a medical report. Perhaps someone can post some details.
Re. other States, I can only speak for VIC, we don't have any such requirement here.
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Well, thank you Michael - I have obviously lived a very hard life!! I'll have you know, I'm yet to reach 65 AND the pension is a long way off.
Back to the subject at hand - yes the Nanny State is alive and well in SA. A riding mate has turned 70 this year and received the same letter as Mike and was equally unimpressed. This mate is fit, healthy and is called upon to audit and report on National veterinary training programs - he most definitely has all his mental faculties still with him (although he did replace his Moto Guzzi Norge with a BMW so there is some lingering doubt). At the same time we read about men half his age, unable to hold down a job due to alcohol and drug abuse, hoon about the streets and have their licenses intact. And don't start me on female asian drivers in BMWs.
I did watch my father's descent into dementia with dismay and absolute frustration at not being able to get his license revoked because he was a danger to all on the road. He refused to acknowledge there was a problem despite the fact his reaction time was almost non-existent.
It is my view that there needs to be a time (age) when testing for fitness to drive is mandatory, but not just for motorcyclists - all road users, including cyclists (aged road lice are even worse than the young ones in my experience in terms of "it's my right to ride this road at peak hour and hold every poor sod up who's trying to get home"). The test should be, at the very least, a reaction time test because if little Sally runs onto the road, we all hope she doesn't die because some old coote is too stubborn to recognise he or she is too old to be driving. The good news for us motorcyclists, if the reaction time test I did for a sleep and fatigue study is any indication - we have very good reaction times because we are always on the look out for the unexpected. I wouldn't have a problem with biennial testing beginning at 70 and going to annual at 80 (easy to say eh? I've still got a few years to go - I might change my tune closer to the age.
I'll get off my soapbox now.
