You're never too old to drive! Shanghai allows people over 70 to apply for driving licenses

Chen Huizhi / SHINE

Cao Zijia, a 72-year-old resident in Minhang District resident, can now relive his younger motorcycling years thanks to a relaxation of Shanghai regulations.

From November 20, people over the age of 70 have been able to apply for driving licenses for cars and light motorcycles, and so far 152 people have signed up for the tests, Shanghai traffic police said on Thursday.

Cao, who rode a motorcycle when he worked in northeast China, said he had always wanted to get a new driving license, and felt lucky it wasn’t too late for him at his age. 

“I have been riding an e-bike, but motorcycles are much faster, and they would save me a lot of trouble finding a parking place if I were to drive a car,” he said.

Unlike younger applicants, those over 70 have to take a computer test to check their memory, judgment and reaction times before being enrolled in a driving school.

The test includes 20 questions with 10 true or false answers and 10 multiple choice. Applicants have 20 minutes to answer, and must get at least 90 points.

Police said the questions are randomly generated for each session. Cao said his included distinguishing colors and repeating a group of numbers in reverse order.

Older applicants have to take all the other written and driving tests for a license. Cao said he had passed them all and should get his license soon.

“I’m thinking about also getting a car license, because, why not when I’m eligible?”

Of the 152 older applicants, 132 passed the cognitive ability tests, according to police. Those who failed first time are given two more chances within the next three months. If they fail all three tests, they have to wait again 90 days from the first test.

The oldest applicant so far, police said, was 88 years old.

Police said they will scrutinize the physical check results of applicants and make sure they have physical checks for the annual renewal of their licenses.