An Auckland man is selling stickers that would mark elderly drivers on the road—and the proposal has ignited exactly the debate you'd expect about dignity, safety, and ageism.
Boyd Steel created a blue "S" plate designed to signal that an older driver is behind the wheel. The stickers cost $14.50 for two and are voluntary. His pitch: if learner plates reduce road rage toward new drivers, why not extend the same courtesy to elderly drivers?
"If you drive up behind a car with an L plate, you instantly have no anger," Steel told RNZ. "It's the same thing I wanted for an elderly driver."
But Grey Power, New Zealand's advocacy group for older people, isn't buying it. And the statistics suggest they might have a point.
The Safety Argument—And The Data
Steel's motivation was personal: concern for his grandmother, who drove "pleasant and calm" into her early 80s. He hopes the sticker will prompt patience from other drivers and prevent aggressive behavior toward slower, more cautious elderly drivers.
The problem? Younger drivers are far more dangerous.
According to a 2018 NZTA report, male drivers aged 15-19 crash roughly eight times more frequently than males aged 55-59. Female drivers aged 15-19 crash about six times more than females aged 45-49.
Elderly drivers do have specific risk factors—slower reaction times, vision issues, medical conditions. But the crash data shows they're not the demographic causing the most carnage on New Zealand roads. That distinction belongs to young drivers, who already wear L plates and still crash at extraordinary rates.
The Ageism Question
Gayle Chambers, president of Grey Power, understands Steel's intent but questions whether the sticker would achieve its goal.
"Ageism is a real thing," Chambers warned. Rather than compassion, she fears the stickers would invite discrimination. Her advice for concerned families: help elderly drivers "avoid peak and heavy traffic" rather than marking them out.
The L plate comparison breaks down here. Learner drivers wear plates because they're legally required to—it's part of a graduated licensing system with testing and restrictions. The "S" plate is voluntary, which means the drivers most at risk (those with genuine impairment) probably won't wear one.
Meanwhile, capable elderly drivers who choose to display the sticker might face patronizing behavior, impatient tailgating, or worse.
What Actually Works
New Zealand requires drivers to renew licenses at age 75, then every two years after 80, with medical certification. The system is designed to catch declining capability through doctor assessment, not public marking.
If there's a legitimate concern about an elderly driver's safety, the solution isn't a sticker—it's a medical review and, if necessary, license suspension.
Steel suspects adult children will be the main purchasers, buying stickers for their parents' cars. But that dynamic raises questions too: if a family member is worried enough to stick an "elderly driver" warning on the car, shouldn't they be having a harder conversation about whether that person should still be driving?
NZTA's Non-Position
The transport agency stated it "does not have a view" on the S plate proposal. That's code for "this isn't a regulatory solution to a real problem."
Steel's early testing showed mostly curiosity, with some people expressing similar worries about their own grandparents. But curiosity and purchase intent are different things.
Mate, if we're going to start marking drivers by risk category, let's be honest about the statistics. The 17-year-old P-plater is statistically more dangerous than the 75-year-old in the Corolla.
The real conversation isn't about stickers. It's about how families navigate the difficult reality that driving capability declines with age, and at some point, independence has to give way to safety—for the driver and everyone else on the road.
That's a conversation that happens in living rooms, with doctors and family members, not on bumper stickers.
