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Page 12 TERRACE BAY/SCHREIBER NEWS Wednesday, April 5, 1989 _ Elderly drivers reviewed "We can't and won't arbitrarily set an age limit at which one would not be allowed to continue driving," said Ed Fulton, Minister of Transportation, at the first national seminar on Strategic Directions for Elderly Driver and Pedestrian Safety. both physical and mental abilities decline with age, the rate varies widely from person to person." Fulton was addressing the issue of elderly drivers and how to cope with the increasing num- bers of them. The percentage of Ontario's population in the over 65 catego- ry is rising rapidly. It now stands at 11 per cent and is expected to reach 25 per cent by the year 2026 -- about six per cent higher than the projected national aver- age. Fulton said seniors are leading more vigorous lives and as a result consider their cars to be "While it has been proven that NOTICE/AVIS NOTICE TO PUBLIC UNDER THE FOREST FIRES FOREST FIRES PREVENTION R.S.O. 1980, as amended The period from April 1 to October 31 in each year shall be a fire season. Fire permits are required for all burning except for cooking or obtaining warmth. Every person who starts a fire or causes a fire to be started out of doors shall: a) take all reasonable steps to keep the fire under control; b) ensure that a responsible person tends the fire; c) extinguish the fire before quitting the site of the fire; and d) where the fire is started under a fire permit, extinguish the fire or cause the fire to be extinguished on or before expiration of the permit. .| Every person who has started a fire s outdoors, or is in charge of a fire outdoors, that is not kept under control shall report the fire without delay to a MNR fire officer. No person shall smoke while walking or working in a forest or woodland during the fire season. Except under the authority of a Work Permit, no person shall, in or within 300 metres of a forest or woodland: a) carry on any logging, mining, or industria! operation; b) clear lands c) construct a dam, bridge or camp; d) operate a mill for the purpose of manufacturing timber; or e) carry on any operation liable to cause the accumulation of slash or debris. Any person convicted of an offence under this Act is liable to a fine up to $1,000.00 or imprisonment to a term of up to three months or both and any costs incurred by the Ministry of Natural Resources to control or extinguish the fire. Work Permits and Fire Permits may be obtained from your local Ministry of Natural Resources office. Fire Permits are also available in Marathon at the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines. : Ministry of Vincent G. Kerrio Minister Natural Resources Ontario AVIS PUBLIC : CONFORMEMENT A LA LOI SUR LA PREVENTION DES INCENDIES DE FORET L.R.O. 1980, telle que modifiée La saison des feux débute le ler avril et se termine le 31 octobre. Il est nécessaire de se procurer un permis pour allumer un feu 4 des fins autres que pour se nourrir ou se réchauffer. Toute personne qui allume ou entraine l'allumage d'un feu par un acte quelconque doit: a) faire tout en son pouvoir pour maitriser le feu; b) s'assurer qu'une personne responsable surveille le feu; c) éteindre le feu avant de quitter les lieux; et d) éteindre le feu ou faire en sorte que le feu soit éteint au plus tard a la date d'expiration du permis. Toute personne ayant allumé un feu en plein air, ou étant chargé de le surveiller et bn'arrivant pas a le maitriser, doit en aviser immédiatement un agent de lutte contre les incendies du MRN. Il est interdit de fumer en marchant ou en travaillant dans la forét pendant la saison des feux. Personne ne doit, 4 moins de détenir un permis de travail, effectuer les travaux ci- dessous dans un périmétre de 300 métres d'une forét ou d'un terrain boisé: a) opérations de coupe du bois, exploitation miniére ou exploitation industrielle; b) dégager des terres; c) constuction d'un barrage, d'un pont ou d'un campement, d) exploitation d'une scierie en vue d'appréter le bois de coupe; ou e) opérations susceptibles d'entrainer l'accumulation de débris. Toute personne contrevenant 4 cette loi est passible d'une amende pouvant atteindre 1 000 $ et(ou) d'emprisonnement pour une période allant jusqu'a trois mois, et devra assumer les frais encourus par le MRN pour maitriser ou éteindre le feu. Les permis de travail et de feu sont disponibles auprés du bureau du Ministére des Richesses naturelles de votre localite. Vous pouvez egalement vous procurer un permis de feu au bureau du Ministere du Développement du nord et des mines a Marathon. YY, Ontario Ministére des Vincent G. Kerrio " \ Ministre Richesses naturelles indispensable. "However, their increased dependence on the automobile often comes at a time in life when they are beginning to find driving more difficult," he said. No matter how hard we try, we cannot restore the quick reflexes or 20/20 vision they had as teenagers. We can, however, work toward reducing the exter- nal pressures they must cope with on the road. Drivers in the 65 to 74-yéar age group are involved in a lower percentage of accidents than any other group of registered drivers. This percentage remains low right into the upper 70s. Of course, seniors drive less than other adults. But even with limited distance and time on the road, the accident rate of senior drivers begins to rise sharply in their 80s until it rivals that of drivers 16 to 24 years of age. "Contrary to the popular belief that expressways and poor weath- er conditions pose the greatest threats to older drivers, we have discovered that the typical acci- dent happens on a straight, dry road, on a clear day, within 24 kilometres of home. And it hap- pens at a lower speed than other accidents," said Fulton. Seniors are more often killed or seriously hurt in accidents than younger people...and when they are injured, take longer to recov- er. North American highway signs are designed for drivers with 20/25 vision...who can pick out one-inch letters at 50 feet. That exceeds the visual ability of about 40 per cent of drivers between the ages of 65 and 74. At night, the problem is com- pounded, as night vision and glare resistance decline sharply with age. Even a 45-year-old needs more light than a 19-year- old to see at night...and takes much longer to recover from the glare of oncoming lights. Experts agree that eyesight is the most critical faculty for both drivers and _ pedestrians. Moreover, studies have shown a direct correlation between poor vision and poor driving perfor- mance, based on the rate of acci- dents per kilometres driven. This growing store of knowl- edge already suggests some of the things we can and cannot do to help seniors adjust to the demands on them as drivers. We can't improve their vision. But we can help them see better, sooner, by changing the design and placement of road signs. We can't make them less vul- nerable to injury. But we can reduce the severity of those injuries by stressing the proper adjustment of seat belts and placement of headrests. Older drivers are often the the best judges of their own capabili- ties. Many have stopped driving at night, in rush hour or on free- ways, of their own volition. For those who aren't prepared to limit their driving, we can make them aware of refresher courses available to upgrade their skills. Driver retraining programs like the Canada Safety Council's "Fifty-Five Alive" program are an excellent way for seniors to pick up new techniques. More cars could, and should, have those large-digit speedome- ters. An option to increase the volume of the turn signal indica- tor would also be a big help to the hearing impaired. "In Ontario, we subsidize spe- cial equipment which makes it easier for seniors and ambulatory disabled persons to use the con- ventional transit services," said Fulton. He concluded by saying there are a variety of transportation options which allow seniors to maintain their dignity, indepen- dence and self-reliance. All these options must be protected... including the option to continue driving as long as they are capa- ble of doing so. RESCUE BREATHING: 6=BASTEC STEPS Shake the person to see if he is conscious. Ask, "Are you 1 Shake and shout gently. OK?" If there is no response: 2 Call for help and tilt the head back gently, lift the chin to open the. airway. Look, listen & feel. Look at the chest to see if it is rising and falling. Listen for the sound of breathing. Feel for air escaping the mouth with your hand or cheek. If you cannot see, hear or feel breathing: Pinch the nose and make a seal with your mayth on the victim's mouth and give two full breaths. Turn your head and look, listen and feel. Continue until someone takes 5 Give a breath every 5 seconds. over from you.