Fatbobman’s Swift Weekly #047 | Societal Progress Through the Lens of Driver’s License Medical Examinations
Weekly Comment
Societal Progress Through the Lens of Driver’s License Medical Examinations
A week ago, I received a notification from the Traffic Police App informing me that it was time to renew my driver’s license. A decade has passed since my last renewal, during which both the regulations governing licenses and the methods for conducting medical examinations have undergone significant changes.
In recent years, the traffic police department has been actively promoting contactless self-service medical examination systems. Influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, this examination method has gradually become mainstream. In my city, there are now about 20 self-service examination stations, while only three traditional manual inspection points remain.
However, self-service examination equipment cannot fully accommodate the needs of all drivers. Due to my color vision deficiency, I can only opt for manual testing. Although Chinese traffic regulations allow individuals with color vision deficiency to hold a driver’s license (only red-green color blindness is disqualified), as a veteran driver with 28 years of experience, I often had to repeatedly explain my condition to doctors during past examinations (as color blindness test cards were the only available testing method) to prove that I could correctly distinguish colors. I expected similar trouble this time, but after understanding my situation, the doctor simply brought out a bunch of colored pencils and asked me to pick out the red and green ones. This seemingly small change delighted me. It not only reflected a more nuanced implementation of the law, improved the examination experience for specific groups, increased efficiency, but also eliminated the possibility of power rent-seeking — truly killing multiple birds with one stone.
On my new license, the next renewal (medical examination) date is marked as 20 years later. This is because by then, I will have reached the age threshold requiring annual examinations. At first glance, annual checks seem troublesome, but upon careful consideration, given the rapid development of autonomous driving technology, the regulations, testing methods, and approaches are bound to undergo revolutionary changes in 20 years.
In a few years, we may witness a major transformation of the driver’s license system: shifting from the current classification based on vehicle size (function) to one based on the vehicle’s autonomous driving capabilities. Meanwhile, the medical examination method might evolve from the current specific self-service equipment to convenient testing based on personal smart devices. Imagine a future where we can complete a comprehensive driving adaptability assessment through smartphones or wearable devices, offering both convenience and real-time monitoring of driver conditions to ensure road safety.
Renewing a driver’s license may seem like a small matter in life, but through this tiny window, we can glimpse a microcosm of social change. In recent years, the comprehensive digitization of various documents such as ID cards, driver’s licenses, and medical insurance cards has quietly transformed our ways of living, working, socializing, and traveling. These changes have brought tangible conveniences to people’s lives.
I eagerly embrace these advancements while looking forward to seeing more humane adjustments like this color vision test. In today’s rapidly developing technological era, we should not forget to focus on the needs of each individual, ensuring that social progress is imbued with warmth and human care.
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