Aging causes an unavoidable decline in cognitive function and motor ability. Preventive measures against tragic accidents must be urgently taken among police and local governments in close cooperation.
The number of fatal traffic accidents involving elderly drivers aged 75 or older reached 460 cases last year, up 10 percent from the previous year. This accounted for a record-high 15 percent of all fatal accidents. The tendency among the elderly is that the older they are, the easier fatal accidents occur.
These accidents are characterized by incorrect operation, such as erroneously stepping on the gas pedal rather than the brakes. In January 2018, an operational error by a female driver in her 70s caused an accident involving multiple vehicles in Okayama Prefecture, killing or injuring a group of elementary school students on their way home.
Such accidents are an irreparable tragedy for the victims as well as for those at fault. The number of people aged 75 or older who hold driver's licenses is about 5.4 million, about double the figure 10 years ago. Amid the aging population, in-depth countermeasures are needed.
With the revised Road Traffic Law coming into force in March 2017, the cognitive impairment screening test for senior drivers was enhanced.
One year after enforcement, about 57,000 people were judged as being at risk of dementia. Of these, about 1,900 had their driver's licenses revoked or suspended after doctor's diagnosis.
As there are a rush of reservations for the cognitive impairment screening test for senior drivers, the waiting period for the test is prolonged in some areas. First, it is desirable to improve the present situation.
Implement alternative services
In some cases, those who took the test show a sudden progression in symptoms of dementia. It is indispensable for those around elderly drivers to keep watch on whether there is a problem with their driving.
The causes of traffic accidents are not limited to dementia. Through lectures and other means when they renew their driver's licenses, elderly people must remember the importance of being aware of age-related declines in their physical function and carefully drive their vehicles.
The National Police Agency plans to consider introducing a license exclusively for so-called safety support vehicles with automatic braking systems and other safety features. It is hoped that manufacturers will further develop technologies for that purpose.
An option for elderly drivers is to voluntarily give up their driver's licenses. However, in rural areas, there are many elderly people who do not think of abandoning their cars to go shopping or make regular visits to the hospital. It is important to establish a system in which their quality of life will not deteriorate even after giving up their driver's licenses.
For elderly people who give up their driver's licenses, it is necessary for local governments to improve such services as discount fares for buses and taxis. The Shiga prefectural police is one entity that reports to the local headquarters for elderly people's welfare about who gave up their driver's licenses, in order to support them so that they do not feel any inconvenience in their daily lives. This is a useful reference.
There are many families that are struggling to persuade parents and others who refuse to give up their driver's licenses. Consultation services at driver's license centers nationwide and other facilities should be actively employed.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 5, 2019)
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