70s Male Driving in Alley After Day Drinking... Accident Involving 2 Collisions
Citizens "Strong Sanctions Needed for Elderly Drivers" Outraged
Experts "Government-Level Policy Improvements Needed to Eradicate Elderly Driver Accidents"
A man in his 70s who was driving after drinking during the day and hit two women in their 50s was arrested by the police. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Su-wan] A controversy has arisen after a man in his 70s, who had been drinking during the day, took the wheel and struck pedestrians, resulting in one death and one serious injury. The man claimed during police investigation that he had no memory of driving, but it was confirmed that he engaged in dangerous driving, including sudden acceleration, reversing, and moving forward while intoxicated, sparking widespread criticism.
As society rapidly enters an aging phase, there is a growing call for fundamental measures to address the continuing traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers. Experts have suggested that government-level institutional improvements are necessary to eradicate accidents involving elderly drivers.
According to media reports, on the 17th, Mr. A (70) purchased alcohol at a convenience store around 11:30 a.m., drank nearby, and then drove his vehicle parked in an alley.
While in the vehicle, Mr. A reversed and hit Mr. B (56) who was behind him, then moved forward and collided with Mr. C (53) in front. Mr. B was transported to the hospital but died, and the other victim, Mr. C, reportedly suffered severe leg injuries. At the time of the accident, Mr. A's blood alcohol concentration was 0.055%, which is at the license suspension level.
Traffic accidents caused by negligence among the elderly are occurring one after another. According to the Road Traffic Authority's Traffic Accident Analysis System (TAAS), traffic accidents involving elderly drivers aged 65 and over were recorded as 26,713 cases in 2017, 30,012 cases in 2018, and 33,239 cases last year. /Photo by Yonhap News
Traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers' negligence, like Mr. A's case, continue to increase. According to last year's Road Traffic Authority's Traffic Accident Analysis System (TAAS), traffic accidents involving drivers aged 65 and older rose from 26,713 cases in 2017 to 30,012 in 2018, and 33,239 last year, showing a continuous upward trend.
Unlike young drivers in their 20s and 30s, elderly drivers have significantly reduced cognitive abilities, increasing the likelihood of major accidents. According to the Samsung Traffic Safety Culture Institute in January, traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers in South Korea increased by about 1.5 times over the past five years. As of 2018, the death rate per 10,000 licensed elderly drivers was 2.75, which is 3.6 times higher than that of drivers in their 30s.
Another study by the institute showed that traffic accidents caused by those aged 65 and older increased by 48% last year.
Additionally, the death rate per 10,000 elderly drivers was 3.1, four times higher than that of drivers in their 30s and 40s. In terms of accident rates, the number of accidents per 10,000 licensed elderly drivers was 110, twice that of drivers in their 30s and 40s, contrasting with the continuous decline seen in other age groups.
Consequently, local governments are promoting policies to encourage voluntary surrender of driver's licenses by elderly drivers. Since Busan City first implemented a program in 2018 to support transportation costs for elderly drivers who voluntarily surrendered their licenses, other local governments such as Gyeonggi Province have adopted similar systems.
These programs offer incentives such as transportation cost support and gift certificates to encourage elderly drivers to voluntarily give up their licenses.
However, despite these services, the surrender rate has not significantly increased. According to a Road Traffic Authority survey last year, among 3.14 million elderly drivers aged 65 and older nationwide, only about 31,000 voluntarily surrendered their licenses over the past five years, accounting for about 1%.
A national petition was also posted, appealing for help after a family suffered a serious accident due to the poor driving skills of an elderly driver. Photo by Yonhap News
Given this situation, citizens are raising their voices for alternatives to address traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers. Kim, a 20-something office worker, said, "Even as a young person, I sometimes get startled by sudden situations while driving, so wouldn't elderly people with reduced cognitive abilities be more likely to cause serious accidents?" He urged, "For everyone's safety, I believe strong measures such as requiring those aged 65 and older to surrender their driver's licenses are necessary."
Another office worker, Yoo (32), pointed out, "There are many cases proving that elderly drivers' complacency leads to accidents. Even experienced drivers can cause accidents due to a momentary misjudgment, so there should be alternatives to address this."
Some argue that the current age criterion of 75 years and older is too low, leading to frequent accidents.
According to a petition posted on the Blue House National Petition Board in August last year, a petitioner identifying as a victim's family member stated, "On August 19, 2019, in Busan, a cruel accident occurred where a man in his 70s ran over a six-month pregnant woman standing at a bus stop on the sidewalk." The petitioner added, "The absurd judgment to turn the steering wheel onto a sidewalk where people were standing in a critical situation caused this tragedy," and urged for stricter qualification requirements for elderly drivers aged 70 and above. As of 1:30 p.m. on the 18th, this petition had received 24,127 signatures.
Experts advise voluntary license surrender by elderly drivers for safety. Traffic accident specialist lawyer Han Moon-chul recently shared a video on his YouTube channel showing an elderly driver who panicked and pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, explaining, "I am sharing this for the safety of elderly drivers. The driver died, and the wife in the passenger seat was seriously injured."
Lawyer Han added, "Even young people often forget things. If your body is not what it used to be and you frequently become forgetful while driving, I recommend not driving if possible."
There is also a view that vehicles need features to assist elderly drivers' judgment to prevent traffic accidents. Joon-han Cho, lead researcher at the Samsung Traffic Safety Culture Institute who conducted the study, said, "Instead of an absolute age criterion, a conditional licensing system based on physical and cognitive abilities, imposing spatial and temporal restrictions or requiring advanced safety device installation, is necessary." He added, "To reduce traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers' steering and braking errors, support and mandatory installation of devices such as sudden start prevention, sudden braking prevention, and advanced driver assistance systems should be promoted."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
