Australians over the age of 60 are being urged to ignore “fake news” articles threatening a driving curfew for drivers in their age group, amid fears the misinformation is being spread by “hostile overseas actors” attempting to erode trust in Australian democracy.
Social media platforms have been flooded with false reports claiming a new law would prevent Australians over 60 from driving between 10pm and 5am.
One widely shared post falsely claimed the so-called ban would begin on October 1, citing the “findings of a study” suggesting older drivers face higher risks at night due to visibility issues, slower reflexes and “various nocturnal driving problems”.
Transport Minister Catherine King condemned the campaign and urged Australians to report such posts if they appeared on social media.
“These articles are linked to hostile overseas actors who want to break trust in our democratic institutions,” Ms King said.
“I want you to hear it from me directly: we have not – and we will never – be putting in a curfew for drivers over 60 years of age. It’s simply fake news. There’s a new misinformation campaign doing the rounds online, designed to unsettle Australians over 60.”
Her office and other MPs have received a flood of worried emails from concerned residents who took the fake reports seriously.
In one letter, an anxious community member 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 us who want to enjoy life after the hard slog of 12 to 16-hour jobs in our full-time working lives,” the letter continued.
Ms King stressed there were no federal or state rules imposing any kind of driving curfew on Australians over 60.
“If you, or 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.”
Image: Supplied
