It is hoped that there will be careful examination of the driving skills of the elderly, which will help prevent accidents.
The government has submitted to the ongoing Diet session a bill to revise the Road Traffic Law that would require drivers aged 75 or older who have committed certain violations to undergo tests of their driving ability when they renew their licenses. It aims to introduce the system in 2022.
Behind this move are the continuing tragic accidents involving senior drivers, including a car getting out of control in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district. The percentage of fatal accidents caused by drivers aged 75 or older is more than double that involving people under 75. Implementing measures can be said to be an urgent task.
It is presumed that the test will be conducted on people who have committed such violations as ignoring traffic lights or making a significant speeding violation in the past three years. If a person fails the test, they will not be allowed to renew their license.
All drivers aged 75 or older are already required to undergo cognitive function tests when they renew their licenses. Everyone should be subject to skills tests as well, but they will be limited to people at high risk of accidents apparently out of consideration for such things as the burden on the elderly and preparations to implement the test.
In performance tests, the subject will actually drive a car at places such as driving schools, and an instructor in the car will check their skills. It's surprisingly hard for a person to recognize their own physical decline. Having a third person check their driving skills is highly important.
The National Police Agency should make every effort to establish a test system and implement it smoothly.
The revision bill also calls for the creation of a license only valid for "safety support cars," which are equipped with features such as automatic braking and acceleration control devices in case the driver steps on the wrong pedal.
The move is aimed at encouraging elderly people who are not confident about driving to use such cars. To promote the use of support vehicles, it is necessary to set affordable prices for the elderly to purchase them or to improve the system in which the government subsidizes part of the purchase price.
Last year, a record 600,000 drivers voluntarily surrendered their licenses, most of them senior citizens. When performance tests are conducted in the future, some elderly people are expected to lose their licenses.
Many elderly people drive their own cars for shopping or going to the hospital. It is important to ensure that these people have means of transportation in case they return or lose their licenses.
Some local governments in various regions are offering subsidies for taxi fares and bus coupons to people who turn in their licenses.
In areas where there are few taxis and buses, efforts are moving forward to share school buses or courtesy cars at nursing homes with elderly people who are concerned about driving.
In addition to measures to prevent accidents, it is indispensable to create an environment in which people can live without depending on their own car.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on March 23, 2020
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
