How safe are Thailand's senior motorists?
Of the 14.5 million or so elderly Thais, many are still driving, and recent headlines have brought a growing number of scary road accidents involving some of them into the spotlight.
Senior moments take a toll
Last week, a 67-year-old motorist drove her white sedan through the glass doors of a Big C outlet in Bangkok's Onnut area after accidently pressing the accelerator instead of the brake. Six people were injured in the accident, including a six-year-old girl and an 81-year-old woman.
A few months earlier in Saraburi province, an 82-year-old lost control of his vehicle, causing it to swerve across several lanes before crashing into parked vehicles. Rescue workers found the driver unconscious at the scene.
In other cases, death and injury was only averted by chance or the evasive manoeuvres of other drivers on the road.
In September, a 77-year-old woman was caught on camera driving her Mercedes-Benz the wrong way on the busy Vibhavadi-Rangsit Highway in Bangkok. Dash-cam footage showed other vehicles desperately swerving to avoid the oncoming car as it careered along the road against traffic for around one kilometre.
Miraculously, they managed to avoid an accident. The driver was later charged with violating several traffic laws and putting other road users at risk.
In another recent case, an 83-year-old drove her car onto a narrow U-turn bridge meant for motorcycles after blindly following her GPS. She blew out three of her tyres before the vehicle finally came to a halt, jammed between the bridge railings.
Annual road fatalities among older adults have nearly doubled in the past 15 years, rising from 2,150 in 2011 to 4,342 in 2025, according to Public Health Ministry data. Drivers and motorbike riders account for nearly 80% of total casualties.
Driving age limit?
Thailand currently has no upper age limit for drivers. To renew their standard five-year licence, elderly drivers merely have to provide a health certificate, undergo online refresher training, and pass basic tests for colour blindness, depth perception, peripheral vision and reaction speed.
Plus, there are reportedly more than 12 million driving licences issued before 2003 that are valid for life. This means there are thousands of people in their 80s or 90s who hold valid driving licences without having to undergo annual fitness tests.
Many other countries do impose age-based restrictions for driving. In Australia, drivers aged 75 and above in New South Wales must pass an annual medical examination that evaluates vision, mobility, cardiovascular health and cognitive function. From the age of 85, drivers must pass a practical driving test every two years or opt for a restricted licence.
Chalit Bavornnaowarat, chief executive of car insurance-comparison platform Kumka, advises elderly drivers to be self-aware and recognise physical warning signs.
These include becoming disoriented or lost on familiar routes, scraping pillars or kerbs during routine parking or reversing manoeuvres, being honked at frequently by other drivers, and experiencing heart palpitations, anxiety, sudden blackouts or dizziness.
"Accepting that we can no longer do something that we were once good at is nothing to be ashamed of. Instead, it's an act of personal responsibility," he said.
Evaluating driving fitness
Dr Weerawut Imsamran, an expert at the Public Health Ministry, encourages seniors to rely on younger family members for transportation if they feel unfit to drive. He notes that safe driving demands clear vision, sound physical health and rapid reflexes.
"Check if any medicines you are taking may be affecting your driving," he advised. Antihistamines and sleeping pills, for instance, can impair decision-making and slow down reflexes, where a split-second delay can prove fatal.
The doctor also advised younger family members to encourage their senior relatives to undergo regular checkups to avoid road accidents.
By Thai PBS World’s General Desk