Japan’s older drivers face more checks

A new study in Japan has highlighted the need to address the ability of older drivers to optimise road safety and cut crashes. The study looked specifically at how best to avoid road crashes caused by a deterioration in the physical condition of each driver. This research was carried out by Keio University's Center for Integrated Medical Research's Mineko Baba. Japanese road crash data shows that in 2016, there were 459 fatal incidents involving drivers aged 75 years or over. These 459 fatal crashes accounted for 13% of the total number of incidents involving road deaths. This figure showed a 7.4% increase from the number recorded 10 years ago.

Of note is that in 2016, 345,000 gave up their driving licences, an increase of 21% from the previous year. Japan does have an ageing population and with longer lifespans, the problem looks likely to increase.