Athens–Corinth: 82-year-old driver had an expired licence

Greek Police have established the identity of the elderly driver who was spotted travelling the wrong way down the Athens–Corinth National Road. According to the news outlet Lawandorder.gr, she is an 82-year-old woman, born in 1944, who according to the information available had not realised she was going the wrong way and was taken by surprise when she saw the Traffic Police officers. The incident had occurred on Sunday 16 August and had put other drivers at risk, and it had been recorded on video that was posted on social media. In that footage a motorcyclist can be seen avoiding a collision with her vehicle at the last moment.

The check established that the 82-year-old’s driving licence had expired last May. The elderly woman was not arrested, but a case file is being prepared against her. Greek law provides that licence holders over the age of seventy-four undergo a medical examination for its renewal every three years, with the check covering an eye test and a general medical examination. Driving with an expired licence is a separate offence under the Highway Code and carries a fine and the removal of the vehicle’s registration document and number plates. Licence renewal for older drivers is carried out at the Transport services of the regional authorities and requires certificates from contracted doctors.

A vehicle entering the opposite carriageway of a motorway ranks among the most dangerous situations on the road network, because the relative approach speeds add together and the reaction time of other drivers is dramatically reduced. On Greek motorways such incidents are usually linked to a wrong entry from a junction or from a maintenance point, while the concessionaires operate closed-circuit systems and control centres that alert the authorities immediately. The Athens–Corinth National Road had seen heavy traffic during that period, because of the return of holidaymakers after the 15 August holiday. The concessionaires also have electronic variable message signs, through which drivers are warned immediately when a vehicle travelling in the wrong direction is detected.

The original incident became known as a driver who went the wrong way on the national road at Magoula, while on the same axis the Traffic Police have stepped up checks with mobile speed cameras at fifteen points. It has not been announced at what point the vehicle entered the opposite carriageway, nor how far it travelled before it was stopped. Nor has it become known whether proceedings were launched to withdraw her driving licence or whether the case was referred to a second-tier medical committee. The elderly woman is presumed innocent until judged by the courts. The video of the incident had prompted intense comment on social media before the driver was identified.