HAND DELIVERED

January 13, 2016

Dr. Chris. Deputy Commissioner, Ms. Marriane Ryan,
RCMP Alberta, Commanding Officer, K Division
11140 109 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5G 2T4

REFERENCE – DRIVEABLE ASSESSMENT CENTRES INC.
Registered Address # 220 8 Perron street, St. Albert AB. T8N 1E4
Corporate Access Number # 209042928

COMPLAINT
A computer based assessment by DriveABLE Assessment Centres Inc. costs a client in Edmonton $250.00 (plus GST), in Ontario $700.00, the costs differ in various jurisdictions across the country.

In 2005, high profile business man, Henry Yip, then CEO of DriveABLE, published that the DriveABLE Assessment Company received $60.00 for each computer based, assessment. More recent information provided to the Elder Advocates by two voting shareholders, is as follows. Presently DriveABLE Assessment Centres Inc. receives

1) about $30.00 from each assessment

Thus it is clear that DriveABLE receives only a small portion of the cost paid by the senior who undergoes testing.
Please advise us, who is receiving the remainder of the payment that is paid for the assessment? Where does all? the money go?
________________________________________________________________

PILOT PROJECT PROTOCOL

In late 2009, we began receiving reports of a Simard MD & DriveABLE pilot project. According to Government MLA’s, the Simard MD test was not recognized by government.
Some Alberta physicians subject senior citizens, to this pilot project, seniors who are renewing their license. The Simard MD was developed by Bonnie Dobbs PhD. and an associate, (a cognitive test based on Der DemTect developed in
Bonnie Dobbs has widely published and perpetrated the concept that

“A cognitively intact person of any age, will do well on the? Simard MD”

That concept is false.

That is the false premise that is the cornerstone of the Simard MD and DriveABLE pilot project.

Those who score low on the Simard MD test are then referred to the DriveABLE computer based test, developed by husband Allan R. Dobbs PhD. Allan Dobbs is 15.7% owner and voting shareholder of the lucrative DRIVEABLE ASSESSMENT CENTRES INC.

SYNOPSIS

The DriveABLE computer based test, is sponsored by the private for profit, multi-national, multi-million dollar, DRIVEABLE ASSESSMENT CORPORATION INC. We have been told that each and every DriveABLE assessment is electronically recorded at the Edmonton Office, # 304, 10050 – 112 Street, Edmonton, AB.
The company is paid for every assessment whether in Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand. They also sell software as franchises to hospitals, driving schools, etc.
DriveABLE Assessment Corp. Inc. is a product of Alberta Deal Generator, the largest investor network in Canada which represents over $400 million in available capital. A 1M dollar investment into Edmonton-based DriveABLE Assessment Centres made by Foundation Equity Corporation in 2005, an Angel Capital group based in St. Albert, AB. was touted in 2013 by Alberta Deal Generator, one of four top lucrative investments.

According to 2011 data, only 15 % pass* this test that is sponsored by the private for profit DriveABLE Assessment Corporation inc.

* “BC’s computerized tests unfair to seniors.” Originally published in Victoria Times colonist. – CARP Canada.

HISTORY
The protocol, introduced to Physician’s Offices by the Primary Care Network, is known as the Simard MD & DriveABLE pilot project. Not all physicians have participated with this protocol. However, we have been informed that some physicians / medical clinics, are telling their clients that it is mandatory to take the tests.
We have also been told many times by government that both tests are voluntary. Clients tell us that they are never informed of this or warned of the consequences that they could lose their right to drive if they failed the tests.

We have documented that DriveABLE has harmed and is harming safe drivers. DriveABLE has misclassified drivers as unsafe and cognitively impaired when in fact these misclassified drivers were found to be cognitively intact and safe drivers.

DriveABLE Assessment Corp inc. has not apologized to them or remedied their expenses in their struggle to become relicensed. Individuals, who have been abused / mis-classified by the DriveABLE assessment, some of them Class I licensees, who then wished to re-obtain their right to drive, have had to undergone lengthy psychological testing, sometimes head scans, extensive reports from a physician, gerontological testing, all at their own emotional and financial expense. If they do not determine to endure the emotional and financial abuse, they will have permanently lost their right to drive.
The collateral damage has been high. We have been informed that in 2014, at least 8,000 Albertans have lost their right to drive. An advocacy officer of the AMA has stated to us that they believe the numbers are higher. Decent, law abiding, tax paying citizens are suffering elder abuse.

CASE STUDIES
1) We have documentation of a family physician /who presents as a gerontologist, whom we have found has on two occasions fabricated a diagnosis (false) for clients and then referred the clients for DriveABLE assessments.

2) We have documentation of two written directives, mailed to the home of a senior by Driver Fitness and Monitoring staff of Department of Transportation, requiring that he “must attend” a DriveABLE assessment. This was followed by a phone call by the same Driver Fitness and Monitoring staff to the senior’s wife ordering him to attend.

3) We met with a physician, July 27, 2012, although he had been informed, had been provided documentation that his client was fully cognizant and fit to drive (following testing at Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital). He told us that he would not inform the Department of Transportation, Driver Fitness and Monitoring, that the client was fit to drive and that his driving license should be reinstated. The physician told us that he could not “over-ride DriveABLE”.

The client’s license was finally reinstated following our meeting with the Minister of Transportation, Ric McIver. It took this man close to a year to re-obtain his Class I licence.
4) A DriveABLE technician instructed a client (a seasoned trucker) who had failed the DriveABLE computer test, that he was not to drive home. She had filled out a Form which stated this Directive.

5) Seniors are stripped of driving license after failing DriveABLE computer test.
6) Seniors tell us that they hardly arrive home from the doctor’s office and DriveABLE personnel are already on the phone, intimidating them, instructing them to set up an appointment. One senior lady told us that she was called six times by an Edmonton DriveABLE Assessment Centre. When finally in exasperation she told the caller that she had no money for the $250.00 fee, she was told that she would lose her license.

7) In December 2009, a physician instructed his primary care nurse to call in all 70 year olds to his office and subject them to the Simard MD. Individuals who failed were immediately referred for the DriveABLE test. Without permission, their private health information forwarded to the private DriveABLE assessment Centre. One individual objected, reported his ordeal to us and this is how we became aware of this matter of processing seniors. No therapeutic intent was apparent, seniors were simply being processed like cattle through an abattoir.

8) In a CHED radio interview, August 27, 2014, Allen Dobbs described his fellow seniors as “dangerous drivers who go up the wrong way on the freeway, didn’t see stop signs, almost hit pedestrians and so on”.

CONCLUSION
Across the province, older Albertan’s lives have been seriously affected, disrupted and some virtually destroyed. Albertans fear having to undergo license renewal. We receive fear filled calls from across the province, even before the senior makes the appointment with their doctor. Senior Albertans are afraid to voice objection for fear that they will lose their right to drive.

Finally, we allege this to be a massive, sophisticated multi-million dollar scam which is being perpetrated against the older citizens of this Province by government and private interests. Unfortunately some physicians have bought into this corrupt protocol.

We respectfully ask your office to investigate this matter.

c.c
The Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ms. Kathleen Ganley

The Honourable Minister of Justice failed to respond and acknowledge our concerns.

The complaint was essentially dismissed. Two RCMP officers came to our office and failed to lay charges.

July 10, 2018