If you’ve got a parent about to turn 80 soon, it’s time to have “that talk.”
Road safety is top of mind for police and, over the next few weeks, the RCMP detachment shared by Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam will host two workshops for seniors with drivers licences and those who can’t be behind the wheel anymore.
Candice Critchlow, PoCo’s community police manager, and ICBC officials will host their second Senior Drivers Exam Info session as part of a free education series.
The event, which takes place on Tuesday, May 28 at 1 p.m. at the PoCo recreation complex (2150 Wilson Ave.), follows last year’s popular workshops that grew from one class to four to meet demand and to address new standards.
Under the new Class 5 driving rules, seniors aged 80 and up are required to:
• have a doctor’s note (or a driver medical examination report) submitted every two years to RoadSafetyBC to prove they are medically competent to drive;
• and undertake a longer on-road test (or an enhanced road assessment).
“So many people were interested last year because it was the first time for the seniors re-exam had been introduced,” Critchlow said. “We want give people a refresher and demystify the fears associated with the re-exam. It’s not about trying to take [a licence] away. This is about what you’re going to be tested on.”
For seniors who don’t make the cut or who have retired from the road, however, the Coquitlam/PoCo community police stations are also hosting the Life Without Driving workshop; it’s held on Tuesday, June 4 at 1 p.m. in the PoCo rec complex.
Co-hosted by COSCO BC — an umbrella group made up of various seniors organizations in the province — Critchlow and TransIt Police Const. Jenny Chung will be on hand to answer questions about public transit and pedestrian safety and etiquette, and they’ll provide tips on how to get around without a vehicle.
They’ll also promote Transit’s hotline to text non-emergency crimes (87-77-77), which can be used on buses, SkyTrain, SeaBus and the West Coast Express.
To sign up for the Senior Drivers Exam Info workshop on May 28, call 604-927-7529 or visit experienceit.ca (code 34056); for the Life Without Driving session on June 4, call the same number or go to experienceit.ca (code 34057).
Meanwhile, Coquitlam/PoCo RCMP will host a volunteer recruitment drive for residents wanting to make a difference in their communities or to get into law enforcement training. A meeting is on Thursday, May 23 at 6 p.m. at Coquitlam city hall (3000 Guildford Way). Register by emailing coquitlam_cps@rcmp.gc.ca.
