[4 Million Elderly Drivers③] Overseas Cases of 'Nighttime and Highway Driving Bans'

Korea to Enter Super-Aged Society in 2 Years
Japan Supports Overall Living When License is Surrendered
US Issues Conditional Licenses for Daytime Driving Only
"We Must Adopt Good Cases to Create a Comprehensive System"

On the 5th, as the heatwave intensifies, elderly people are waiting to receive free meals at Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Honam munonam@

South Korea, approaching a super-aged society, is grappling with concerns about elderly drivers. However, this concern is not unique to Korea. Overseas countries have also long prepared measures for elderly drivers and introduced necessary education and technologies.

According to the government on the 4th, the current measure adopted in Korea for elderly drivers is the driver's license return system. When a driver turns 65 or older, they voluntarily visit community service centers to return their license and receive support. However, the incentive is insufficient for elderly drivers, as the support amount is only about 100,000 won. Even when trying to increase the support fund, the lack of budget in local governments poses an obstacle.

As Korea heads toward a super-aged society, there are calls that the issue of elderly drivers is urgent. The United Nations (UN) classifies the proportion of the elderly population aged 65 and over into an aging society (7% or more elderly population), aged society (14% or more elderly population), and super-aged society (20% or more elderly population). According to Statistics Korea, Korea entered an aged society in 2017 with an elderly population proportion of 14.2%, and is expected to enter a super-aged society in 2025, two years later. The National Police Agency also predicted that the number of elderly drivers will reach about 5.8 million in 2025 and soar to approximately 18.44 million by 2040. The number of traffic accidents involving elderly drivers, which already exceeds 30,000 cases annually, could increase exponentially.

Super-aged Society Japan... Providing Elderly-tailored Traffic Safety Education

The most comparable country is Japan, which is similar to Korea. Japan entered a super-aged society in 2010. Naturally, traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers were identified as a social problem. As of 2016, the number of fatal accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers aged 75 and over was 8.9, more than twice that of drivers under 75.

The Japanese government began preparing countermeasures at the end of 2016. First, they investigated the causal relationship between dementia, visual impairment, and traffic accidents, and established a system to diagnose diseases that impair cognitive abilities early. Based on this, they also conducted traffic safety education related to driving habits suitable for aging. Japanese elderly drivers aged 70 and over receive notification for training and must undergo simulated driving and actual driving tests. Additionally, when elderly drivers return their licenses, they receive support not only for transportation fares but also for various daily life areas such as groceries.

Conditional Driver’s Licenses and ADAS to Prevent Elderly Driver Accidents

Some countries have introduced conditional driver’s license systems because simply returning licenses can infringe on the mobility rights of the elderly. This is a measure that can be sufficiently considered in rural areas without public transportation. In California and Illinois, USA, elderly drivers can be issued licenses that allow them to drive only near their homes. Ohio has also implemented measures allowing elderly drivers to drive only during daytime or prohibiting highway driving.

Technology is also introduced to reduce the risk of accidents involving elderly drivers. Europe has decided to mandate the installation of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in all new cars starting in 2024. ADAS is a technology that assists drivers’ cognitive abilities, such as lane keeping, blind spot detection, and pedestrian detection. According to the Samsung Transportation Culture Research Institute, installing Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), one of the ADAS technologies, reduces traffic accidents by 25.2% compared to vehicles without it. Korea announced through the 2020 comprehensive traffic safety plan for the elderly, jointly by 22 organizations, that attaching ADAS would help elderly drivers, but it has not yet been institutionalized.

Professor Park Muhyuk of the Korea Road Traffic Authority said, "We cannot deprive elderly drivers of their right to drive, but it is time to conduct a comprehensive review. We need to adopt good overseas cases and establish a meticulous system to prevent accidents on the road."