"Encouragement to Actively Use the License Return System"
An 80-year-old elderly driver suspected of dementia was driving dangerously on a national highway at dawn, but was quickly discovered by a responding police officer and safely returned home. The driver had collided with a signboard at a construction site but did not realize it.
According to a report by Yonhap News on the 7th, at 1:02 a.m. that day, the Sokcho Police Station in Gangwon received a report from Songhyeon Intersection in Songhyeon-ri, Sonyang-myeon, Yangyang-gun, stating that "the vehicle driven by an elderly person ahead is driving dangerously."
The police found Mr. A (81)’s vehicle at Yeonchang Samgeori, about 2 km from the reported location, within 3 minutes and instructed him to stop. At the time, Mr. A was driving slowly at about 30 km/h on a 70 km/h road, and even after hitting a signboard placed at a nearby road construction site, he continued driving without realizing it.
Sergeant Kang Seong-eun (52) of the Yangyang Police Substation first stopped the vehicle in a safe place and tested Mr. A for alcohol, which was not detected. The police asked Mr. A various questions, but he was reportedly unable to answer properly.
Sergeant Kang judged that Mr. A’s cognitive ability to drive was significantly impaired, considering that the location where he was found was already about 20 km past his home and that he did not notice the impact with the signboard at all.
Mr. A was then seated in the passenger seat, and the police officer who came with him drove the vehicle. Sergeant Kang explained the license surrender system to Mr. A’s wife and urged her to encourage her husband to refrain from driving. Mr. A’s wife reportedly expressed her gratitude to Sergeant Kang, saying, "You saved my husband’s life."
Sergeant Kang told Yonhap News, "I feel proud to have prevented a traffic accident," but also said, "Since elderly drivers have reduced driving response abilities and are prone to accidents, I urge them to actively use the license surrender system."
Traffic accidents involving elderly drivers are rapidly increasing in South Korea. As of 2022, accidents caused by drivers aged 65 and older reached 34,652 cases, the highest since statistics began. The proportion of such accidents among all traffic accidents also reached 17.6%. Despite a significant overall decrease in traffic accidents, those caused by elderly drivers are sharply increasing.
Accidents involving elderly drivers are generally caused by slowed physical reactions, such as confusing the accelerator and brake pedals, leading to vehicles encroaching on sidewalks, or accidents at crosswalks due to decreased concentration. To address this, the government, the National Police Agency, and local governments are encouraging elderly drivers to voluntarily surrender their driver’s licenses to reduce traffic accidents and enhance social safety.
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