Dear MEL Topic Readers,
How Japan is handling more aging drivers
People aged 75 or older, are called
"late-stage seniors" in Japan. They represent approximately 15% of
the entire population in the fast-aging country. Especially in rural areas, many
or most of the residents are seniors. There, people have no choice but to drive
cars themselves as public transportation services are rarely available to cover
the communities. Even in urban cities where there are trains and buses are running
around, many seniors still choose to drive. They grew up during the time when
owning and driving a car was a status symbol or fashion.
The problem is their impaired driving skills
and ability. As people age, their cognitive ability declines. In fact, while
overall traffic deaths in Japan were the lowest in the last seven decades,
drivers over 65s caused over half of the total deaths by traffic accidents. Accidents
caused by an elderly driver who mixed up the brake pedal with the accelerator and
crashed into a building or hit pedestrians are reported so frequently that people
aren’t surprised any longer by the news and just say “again.”
So, what should be done? Mandatory driving
tests and training are already in place. But if the driver’s license is
revoked, how does the person continue his or her daily life without driving
especially in a remote area? Will there be enough auto-driving cars on the road
soon?
Enjoy reading the article and learn about
another problem in a fast-aging society.
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