The Malaysian government has no plans to require drivers aged 70 and above to undergo medical examinations when renewing their driving licences.
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah said the Road Transport Department (JPJ) currently only requires applicants or holders of vocational driving licences to complete a health declaration form (JPJL8/L8A) when applying for or renewing their licences.
Speaking during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday, Hasbi said the government acknowledges Malaysia’s ageing population but there is currently insufficient evidence to show that mandatory health screenings for elderly drivers would effectively reduce road accidents.
He cited police statistics showing that drivers, passengers and victims aged between 16 and 40 accounted for 69.4 per cent of those involved in road accidents last year, while individuals aged 70 and above made up only 3.5 per cent.
Hasbi also referred to 2024 data, which showed that senior citizens aged 70 and above were involved in about 3 per cent of road accidents, compared with 65.2 per cent involving those aged between 16 and 40.
He said the figures indicate that age alone is not a major contributing factor to road accidents and should not be used as the sole basis for restricting a person’s driving eligibility.
Hasbi added that imposing stricter driving requirements on senior citizens could affect their independence and ability to carry out daily activities, including travelling to hospitals and managing personal affairs.
He stressed that every driver should be assessed based on their individual health and driving ability, noting that growing older does not automatically mean a person is no longer capable of driving safely. As long as they remain fit to drive and comply with traffic laws, senior citizens should be allowed to continue driving.
