Around 9:27 p.m. on the 1st, a 68-year-old driver drove backwards on the road and rushed to the sidewalk in downtown Seoul, killing nine people. In this regard, attention is being paid to the standards for driving qualifications of the elderly in contrast to other countries.
In Korea, it is mandatory to renew the license every three years from the age of 75. Cognitive tests and traffic safety education are required every time a license is renewed, but only traffic safety education is currently provided to those over 65 years of age.
In contrast, the “eligibility for senior citizens” is more stringent overseas than in Korea. The U.S. state of California issues a driver’s license that allows drivers aged 70 or older to drive within a limited area according to their driving capabilities after re-examination. Illinois also mandates drivers aged 75 to 80 to renew their driver’s license every four years, those aged 81 to 86 to two years, and those aged 87 or older to one year. If they are found to be ineligible for a renewal test, they will issue a limited license that limits driving hours. Japan, like Japan, is taking measures such as limiting the area and time in which drivers can drive, or issuing a license only to vehicles with accident prevention devices.
Japan, which has entered a super-aged society and 30% of the population is 65 years or older, recently announced that Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport last month that it will only make it mandatory for automatic transmission vehicles to install a device that prevents accidents if they are confused between the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal. In Japan, cars equipped with pedal malfunction prevention devices have been sold since 2012, and in 2022, about 90% of new cars are sold with prevention devices. The safety device detects obstacles through cameras in the front and rear of the vehicle when the vehicle stops, and has a function of suppressing acceleration so that even if the accelerator pedal is strongly pressed 1 to 1.5 meters ahead, it does not hit the obstacle or hits it at less than 8 kilometers per hour.
According to statistics from the Japanese National Police Agency, 27.6% of deaths caused by drivers aged 75 or older were “inappropriate manipulation,” such as confusion between accelerator and brake pedals. On the other hand, for those under the age of 75, this ratio is 9.9%, showing a big difference in the ratio. This means that a large part of elderly driver accidents can be prevented when using incorrect operation prevention devices. The Japanese government is also distributing so-called “support cars” (sapocar) with safe driving support functions for elderly drivers, and encouraging the elderly to return their driver’s licenses. In addition, cognitive function tests and classes are mandatory for drivers aged 75 or older when renewing their licenses.
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
