'This is getting crazy': Manitoba senior fighting MPI over medical suspension of driver's licence
What started as a simple mistake of addresses has led to a nearly year-long fight for an 88-year-old man over a medical licence suspension – one he fears may have more to do with his age than his health.
In September 2021, Aeurel Hebert, a resident of St. Pierre-Jolys, went to visit his daughter in the hospital. He first drove to the health centre in Hamiota, but when he arrived he was told he was supposed to go to the hospital in Hartney.
Hebert said someone told Manitoba Public Insurance of his mistake and shortly after he received a letter from the public insurer telling him his 'medical condition' may be impairing his ability to drive and his licence was being suspended.
"I'm 88 years old and my health is good," Hebert told CTV News.
He said he has been driving since he was 16 – more than 70 years and hasn't had any trouble on the road. He says his driving record from the last five years is clean.
"There’s no speeding ticket, there’s no faulty moves at all," he said.
He's been jumping through hoops with MPI for nearly a year, trying to get his licence reinstated, including getting a medical exam.
"They had the whole doctor's record which as far as I’m concerned, I got a copy of it, and it was 100 per cent."
He said in addition to this he has had to complete an eye exam, a computer test, appear before an appeal review committee and do two separate road tests.
He says he completed them all, but still no licence.
"This has been going on and on and on – January, February, March, April, May, and the last one they said it might be six months before you get your answers,” he said. "Now they're telling me I got to go for another test… I says that is ridiculous."
In total, there were 2,907 medical licence suspensions in 2020/21, and 3,141 medical suspensions in 2021/22, according to MPI statistics.
In a statement to CTV News, the Crown corporation said a driver’s licence may be suspended due to a medical condition or event which could pose a safety risk to the individual or others on the road. It said this may include episodic or persistent impairments as well as failing to provide necessary medical reports or follow-ups.
Hebert, however, fears the main reason he lost his licence is due to his age.
Michelle Porter, the director of the University of Manitoba’s Centre on Aging, said there are a lot of reasons for a licence medical suspension, but age alone is not one of them.
“Age should never be used as the sole factor to determine whether someone should drive or not - that would actually be against the law," she said. "It should all be about the person's ability to function as a driver and be able to do all the things you need to do in this complex task."
Hebert said he’s still looking for answers as to why his licence was suspended, and why it’s taken so long to get it back. But in the meanwhile, he said costs are starting to add up, estimating he has spent more than $500 on paperwork, appointments, tests and exams.
"Another one and another one and another one… I says this is getting crazy," he told CTV News.
MPI told CTV News there is no timeline on how long a licence may be suspended, but it adds people who have their licence suspended must supply the necessary medical information and complete any applicable evaluations before it will be reinstated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.
DEVELOPING Israel says Hamas deal is 'far' from meeting its demands as Rafah offensive looms
Israel said the terms of a ceasefire deal Hamas accepted on Monday remained 'far from' meeting its demands and warned its military operations in Rafah would continue, even as it sent negotiators to talk to mediators.
2024 Met Gala: Everything to know about fashion's annual soiree
Fashion's biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.