Bad driving tip line was to keep seniors safe, OPP says

An OPP inspector is defending a controversial effort to encourage people to anonymously report senior drivers to Crime Stoppers.

Sudbury police along with other community partners, including the OPP have been championing a tip-line, which people can call if they spot an older person driving dangerously.

But seniors pushed back, saying the move targeted them unfairly.

OPP Inspector Mark Andrews said he agrees the optics of the campaign weren't good, but the spirit of the program is what people should be focusing upon.

"We've been vilified because people hear the term task-force, which is an inappropriate term," he said.

"This isn't a task-force. This is a healthcare coalition, saying 'how can we keep our seniors, some of our greatest resource people, safe?'"

Andrews said police have been hearing from health care professionals including those who work with Alzheimer and dementia patients about strategies for keeping senior drivers safe.

Click on the audio button to hear the full interview with Andrews on CBC Sudburys Morning North program.