According to British Columbia’s Superintendent of Motor Vehicles it will pay the multi-million dollar, private for profit, DriveABLE ASSESSMENT CORPORATION INC. and its contractors almost $2 million a year to give driver testing to B.C. seniors
B.C. drivers over the age of 80 must take a medical & screening test with their physician every two years. The medical costs the senior $107.00. The screening test may include the SIMARD MD * cognitive test which if scored too low, they are referred to the DriveABLE computer test.

The testing offered by DriveABLE was initially limited to the computer-based assessment, which if failed, the senior lost their license to drive. But after province wide complaints (outrage) by seniors, the provincial government expanded the company’s contract to include road testing.

Assistant Superintendent Stephanie Melvin said it expects to pay the DriveABLE Assessment Centers and its’ contractors up to $850,000 over the next year for the Driving tests alone. Instead of having in-house examiners do the job,
the company uses cars that are equipped with brakes for the examiners, as opposed to regular tests, where the test is taken in the driver’s own car.

This does not include the cost of the DriveABLE computer testing which costs the BC government over $350.00 for every senior tested, therefore annually, costing the BC government another $1M. Thus feeding the coffers of the DriveABLE ASSESSMENT CORPORATION INC. of which Allan Dobbs PhD, owns 15.7 %.

* Simard MD test was developed by Bonnie Dobbs PhD, wife of Allan Dobbs PhD

Adapted from CBC News March 25, 2012

Tags: DriveAble