The Highway Bureau today announced further details of new regulations for mandatory driver's license renewals that would take effect this month, including the addition of a physician’s assessment and a self-declaration, with the latter likely applicable to those aged 75 or older.
The bureau said it is considering adding a physician’s assessment and self-declaration to the medical exam form in addition to existing checks on vision, hearing, limb function and mobility.
The self-declaration would list possible physical and mental symptoms for drivers aged 75 or older to assess whether they have recently experienced them, the bureau said.
Photo: Taipei Times file photo
The revised medical form would be implemented after it is reviewed and confirmed by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ driver medical advisory committee, it added.
The minimum age for mandatory driver's license renewals would be lowered from 75 to 70 starting May 31, the ministry announced last month.
Under the new regulations, drivers aged 70 or older would have to undergo a physical examination and complete a two-hour traffic safety course to renew their licenses, which would remain valid until age 75.
There would be a grace period of two years that would run until the end of May 2028 to provide a full transition period for drivers aged 70 to 74, the bureau said.
However, those who have already used the two-year grace period would not be eligible for an additional three-year grace period upon turning 75, it added.
For drivers who turn 70 after the new system takes effect, the two-year grace period would begin on their 70th birthday, it said.
Drivers aged 75 or older would still need to renew their licenses every three years, and would be required to pass a cognitive function test to obtain a license, in addition to a physical examination and a traffic safety course, it said.
The decision not to include cognitive testing for drivers aged 70 to 74 was based on data from a 2023 epidemiological survey by the Taiwanese Society of Geriatric Psychiatry provided to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as well as a study on the National Health Insurance database published last year, said Huang Ming-sheng (黃明聲), deputy head of the bureau’s Licensing Division.
The prevalence of dementia among people aged 75 to 79 is nearly twice that of those aged 70 to 74, with the trend becoming more pronounced in older age groups, the study showed.
For drivers aged 75 or older, the cognitive test would include three components: orientation to time and place, short-term memory, and judgement and coordination, he said.
Those who fail the cognitive test could undergo further evaluation at a hospital and obtain certification from a physician confirming they do not have moderate or severe dementia, he said.
The new system would affect about 1.288 million drivers, including 1.1 million people aged 70 to 74 and 188,000 aged 75 or older, the bureau’s data showed.
Renewal notices are to be sent starting next month, with an average of about 100,000 notices issued per month, the bureau said, adding that older drivers should renew their licenses upon receiving notification.
In January, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications introduced an incentive program offering people aged 70 or older who surrender their driver's licenses a 50 percent subsidy on public transport using a digital TPass card, capped at NT$1,500 per month, for up to two years.
As of March 31, more than 5,300 people had surrendered their licenses and qualified for the program, data showed.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has also proposed amendments to traffic safety regulations that, from Dec. 31, would require drivers aged 75 or older who have caused accidents due to traffic contraventions to complete training at an accredited driving institution before renewing their licenses.
Under the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例), driving with an expired license is punishable by a fine of NT$1,800 to NT$3,600, along with license suspension.
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