Transport Minister Catherine King says ‘hostile overseas actors’ behind fake driving curfew for over-60s

Older Australians are being urged to ignore “fake news” articles threatening a driving curfew for drivers over 60 years old, with fears the pieces are from “hostile overseas actors” attempting to break down trust in Australian democracies. Social media platforms have been peppered with online fake news pieces warning of an incoming ban which would ban older Australias from driving between 10pm to 5am. One piece said the fake ban would start from October 1 due to the “findings of a study which suggests older people have an increased risk of driving due to visibility issues, slower reflexes, and various other nocturnal driving problems”. Transport Minister Catherine King blasted the misinformation campaign and called on people to report the posts if shared on social media. She linked the false articles to “hostile overseas actors” looking to “break trust in our democratic institutions”. “I want you to hear it from me directly; we have not – and we will never – be putting in a curfew drivers over 60 years of age. It’s simply fake news,” she said. “There’s a new misinformation campaign doing the rounds online, designed to unsettle older Australians.” Concerned older Australians have flooded Ms King and other MPs with concerned email over the false changes. In one letter, an anxious resident wrote: “This ruling does not consider my health and fitness, the difficulty of country living, the enormous cost it would be to hire a taxi … will the (government) pay for our taxi fares”. “You are hindering those of use who want to enjoy life after the hard slog of 12 to 16 hour jobs in our full-time working lives,” they continued. Ms King confirmed there were no federal and state rules which impose a curfew on older Australians. “If you, or if anyone you know, sees these articles shared online, report the post to stop it spreading any further,” she said. “If a website looks dodgy, it probably is. Don’t let their strange campaign spread any further.”