"80-Year-Old Driving..." Elderly Drivers on the Road 'On the Edge,' Is This Okay?

Overall Traffic Accidents Decrease... Increasing Accidents Among Elderly Drivers
Elderly Drivers Have Lower Cognitive Abilities Than Younger Drivers
Experts Say "Related Systems Needed, Such as Driving Ability Evaluation"

Elderly people are voluntarily applying to surrender their driver's licenses. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # In April, an incident occurred in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, where a car driven by an man in his 80s crashed into a hair salon, resulting in the death of one customer. The car driven by driver A (82) hit three motorcycles and one car parked in a residential alley before crashing into the hair salon. As a result of the accident, a woman in her 40s inside the salon was injured and transported to the hospital but ultimately died. Additionally, two hair salon employees suffered injuries such as broken arms. According to police investigation, A was not under the influence of alcohol.

Recently, traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers have increased, becoming a social issue. Elderly drivers have slower physical reaction speeds and reduced cognitive abilities compared to younger people, increasing the risk of accidents. The government has implemented measures such as a voluntary license surrender system for elderly drivers, but the surrender rate remains low, causing concern. Experts emphasize the need for additional measures.

As the aging rate in Korea accelerates, the number of elderly car owners and license holders is also increasing. The number of licensed drivers aged 65 and over rose from 2,078,855 in 2014 to 3,070,650 in 2018, showing an annual growth rate of over 10%.

The problem is that elderly drivers have lower cognitive abilities compared to other age groups, making them more vulnerable to accidents. According to an experiment conducted last year by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority on 'Changes in Driver Cognitive Ability by Vehicle Speed,' the cognitive ability of drivers aged 60 and over averaged 51.3%, which is 14.2% lower than that of drivers under 60 (59.8%).

Especially when driving at 60 km/h, the cognitive ability of drivers aged 60 and over was 43.3%, less than 50%, indicating a higher risk of accidents compared to younger drivers.

In September last year, a car driven by a driver in his mid-70s in Sasang-gu, Busan, crashed into a safety fence at a subway construction site and overturned while trying to avoid a lane-changing truck. Also, in Daeyeon-dong, Nam-gu, Busan, a vehicle driven by a person in their 60s crashed into a metal railing in a parking lot and fell 2 meters below.

Traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers are increasing every year. According to the Road Traffic Authority, the number of traffic accidents caused by drivers aged 65 and over was ▲23,063 in 2015 ▲24,429 in 2016 ▲26,713 in 2017 ▲30,012 in 2018 ▲33,239 in 2019, showing a yearly increase. Over the past five years, traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers have increased by 44%.

In contrast, the total number of traffic accidents decreased from ▲232,035 in 2015 to ▲229,600 in 2019.

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In response, the government and local governments operate the 'Elderly Driver License Surrender System,' which encourages drivers aged 65 and over to voluntarily surrender their driver's licenses. Under this system, those who surrender their licenses for the first time receive a prepaid transportation card or local currency loaded with 100,000 KRW.

However, the license surrender rate remains minimal. As of 2019, among all licensed drivers aged 65 and over nationwide, only 73,221 surrendered their licenses, representing a surrender rate of just 2.2%. This means only about 2 out of 100 elderly drivers surrendered their licenses.

Among elderly drivers, there is considerable dissatisfaction that the benefits are insufficient to replace a lifelong means of transportation. Especially in rural areas where transportation infrastructure is inadequate and public transportation is inconvenient, the response is even lower.

Other countries have implemented various measures. Japan, the UK, and Italy require drivers aged 70 and over to renew their licenses every three years, while the United States requires drivers aged 75 and over to take a road test every two years, strengthening licensing requirements for elderly drivers.

Experts suggest that additional legal and institutional systems are needed for elderly drivers. Kim Byung-kwan, a research fellow at the Gyeonggi Research Institute, stated in the study 'Directions for Improving Road Traffic Facilities Considering Elderly Drivers in Preparation for a Super-Aged Society,' published last January, "Physical and mental decline in elderly drivers does not justify unconditional restrictions on driving and mobility rights," emphasizing, "For overall social traffic safety, it is necessary to evaluate elderly drivers' driving abilities and apply legal and institutional systems that consider this to guarantee their driving decision rights."