December 3, 2016
Accidents caused by elderly drivers aged 70 years and older have been increasing. In fiscal 2015, 40% of accident deaths while driving involved those in advanced age, according to the government data. On the other hand, the decrease in access to public transportation in many regions of Japan outside of major cities has made it difficult for people without cars. It is, of course, necessary to beef up preventive measures against car accidents caused by the elderly, but at the same time administrative action is essential to ensure access to public transport in their daily lives.
The revised road traffic law requires aged drivers to receive medical evaluation by a doctor on their cognitive functions. However, Saito Takayuki, a driving school instructor, said, “The number of dementia specialists is only 1,600 in Japan.” He worries about the population of the elderly that is expected to jump as 7.6 million baby boomers reach their 70s, saying, “Specialist physicians’ responsibility will then become overly heavy.”
The Japanese Psychogeriatric Society proposes that anti-rollback gates be installed at all expressway rest areas; vehicles be prohibited from entering school routes; guardrails be placed on every school road; and the purchase of an automobile equipped with an auto-braking system and an accelerator-brake error prevention device be subsidized.
In addition to the above proposals, the Society’s director, Arai Heii, said, “All traffic signs should be replaced with ones taking into account a degeneration of human audiovisual sensory functions.” He noted that the daily lives of those who decide to return their driver’s licenses will likely be inconvenient because of poor access to public transportation, especially in rural areas. “So,” he went on to say, “it will be important for the central government or each local municipality to provide public transport support by such means as providing taxi tickets or bus passes.” He added that the Transport Ministry and the National Police Agency need to properly evaluate the elderly’s driving abilities, not simply according to their age but based on the results of accident investigations and medical research analyses.
Urban areas in Japan normally have a highly-developed public transportation network, but it often causes seniors a lot of trouble when they frequently have to change trains or carry luggage.
Professor at Ritsumeikan University Kondo Koichi, versed in the country’s transportation policy, advocates the necessity of promoting barrier-free communities and providing travelling support by administrative organs.
In less-populated districts, both railways and bus lines have been disappearing one after another. Some areas do not even have a taxi company. Getting around in such a community is extremely inconvenient. Therefore, Kondo proposes that local governments work on efforts to ensure access to public transportation by taking measures such as operating local community buses, shared-taxi options, or on-demand transport. In order to achieve this, Kondo stressed, the central government should provide financial aid.
The government, as a measure to prevent accidents, recommends that the elderly voluntarily forfeit their driver’s license. However, Kondo states that what the government must do in the first place is to improve the public transport environment so that everyone can live comfortably without cars. For example, he suggested that the state authorities consider distributing taxi tickets, lowering the tax for private cars installed with safety devices which include an obstacle detector, and reducing auto insurance costs.
The revised road traffic law requires aged drivers to receive medical evaluation by a doctor on their cognitive functions. However, Saito Takayuki, a driving school instructor, said, “The number of dementia specialists is only 1,600 in Japan.” He worries about the population of the elderly that is expected to jump as 7.6 million baby boomers reach their 70s, saying, “Specialist physicians’ responsibility will then become overly heavy.”
The Japanese Psychogeriatric Society proposes that anti-rollback gates be installed at all expressway rest areas; vehicles be prohibited from entering school routes; guardrails be placed on every school road; and the purchase of an automobile equipped with an auto-braking system and an accelerator-brake error prevention device be subsidized.
In addition to the above proposals, the Society’s director, Arai Heii, said, “All traffic signs should be replaced with ones taking into account a degeneration of human audiovisual sensory functions.” He noted that the daily lives of those who decide to return their driver’s licenses will likely be inconvenient because of poor access to public transportation, especially in rural areas. “So,” he went on to say, “it will be important for the central government or each local municipality to provide public transport support by such means as providing taxi tickets or bus passes.” He added that the Transport Ministry and the National Police Agency need to properly evaluate the elderly’s driving abilities, not simply according to their age but based on the results of accident investigations and medical research analyses.
Urban areas in Japan normally have a highly-developed public transportation network, but it often causes seniors a lot of trouble when they frequently have to change trains or carry luggage.
Professor at Ritsumeikan University Kondo Koichi, versed in the country’s transportation policy, advocates the necessity of promoting barrier-free communities and providing travelling support by administrative organs.
In less-populated districts, both railways and bus lines have been disappearing one after another. Some areas do not even have a taxi company. Getting around in such a community is extremely inconvenient. Therefore, Kondo proposes that local governments work on efforts to ensure access to public transportation by taking measures such as operating local community buses, shared-taxi options, or on-demand transport. In order to achieve this, Kondo stressed, the central government should provide financial aid.
The government, as a measure to prevent accidents, recommends that the elderly voluntarily forfeit their driver’s license. However, Kondo states that what the government must do in the first place is to improve the public transport environment so that everyone can live comfortably without cars. For example, he suggested that the state authorities consider distributing taxi tickets, lowering the tax for private cars installed with safety devices which include an obstacle detector, and reducing auto insurance costs.
