"Please Take Your Foot Off the Accelerator" Warning... Japan Seeking Solutions for Elderly Drivers

Mandatory Installation of Device to Prevent Pedal Misoperation
Most New Cars in Japan Already Equipped with the Device

In downtown Seoul, a 68-year-old elderly driver caused a wrong-way driving accident that resulted in the deaths of nine people. As a result, some voices are calling for measures related to elderly drivers following previous accidents, and it has been reported that Japan, which has many elderly drivers, is promoting the mandatory installation of safety devices to prevent pedal misapplication.

Japan Promotes Mandatory Installation of Devices to Prevent Misapplication of Accelerator and Brake Pedals... Timing of Mandate to Be Reviewed

Driver's seat of a car. The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. [Image source=SBS]

On the 2nd, Asahi Shimbun and Kyodo News reported that Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced on the 28th of last month a plan to mandate the installation of devices that prevent accidents caused by confusing the accelerator and brake pedals, limited to automatic transmission vehicles. This safety device detects obstacles in front of and behind the vehicle when stopped, and when an obstacle is within 1 to 1.5 meters, it suppresses acceleration so that even if the accelerator pedal is pressed hard, the vehicle does not collide with the obstacle or collides at a speed below 8 km/h. At the same time, a warning message saying "Please take your foot off the accelerator pedal" is displayed inside the vehicle.

It is reported that pedal misapplication prevention devices have already been commercialized in Japan. Vehicles equipped with pedal misapplication prevention have been sold since around 2012, and by 2022, about 90% of new cars were equipped with this device.

Cause of Fatal Accidents Among Elderly Drivers in Japan Is Pedal Confusion... Various Support Measures Prepared as Elderly Drivers Increase

According to a survey by the Japanese National Police Agency, 27.6% of fatal accidents caused by drivers aged 75 and older were due to "inappropriate operation," such as confusing the accelerator and brake pedals. In contrast, the rate for drivers under 75 was 9.9%. Additionally, the Japanese government analyzed in the "Traffic Safety White Paper" that fatal accidents caused by elderly drivers aged 65 and older increased for two consecutive years, and the rate of pedal misapplication as a cause was higher than in other age groups.

A bigger issue is that not only are there many elderly drivers in Japan, but the proportion of elderly among all drivers is also increasing. Compared to 2013, the number of elderly license holders last year increased by about 1.3 times for those aged 65 and older, about 1.7 times for those 75 and older, and about 1.9 times for those 85 and older. The Japanese government is distributing so-called "Support Cars" (Sapoka) equipped with safe driving support functions for elderly drivers and is encouraging elderly people to voluntarily return their driver's licenses. Furthermore, cognitive function tests and training are conducted during license renewal for drivers aged 75 and older.

Calls Grow in South Korea for Safety Devices in Elderly Drivers' Vehicles... AEBS Proposed

Meanwhile, on the 1st near Seoul City Hall Station, a Genesis passenger car driven by a 68-year-old driver was driving in the wrong direction and struck a sidewalk, resulting in nine deaths and four injuries. Because the driver was elderly, there is speculation that the accident may have been caused by pedal misapplication. However, the driver is a veteran city bus driver with decades of accident-free driving experience and claims the accident was caused by sudden unintended acceleration, so the exact cause of the accident has not yet been determined.

Nonetheless, following previous fatal accidents caused by elderly drivers, calls are growing in South Korea to install safety devices in vehicles driven by elderly drivers. In the past four years, rear-end collisions involving elderly drivers increased sharply by 49.7% (an average annual increase of 14.4%), from 3,435 cases in 2020 to 5,142 cases last year. During the same period, rear-end collisions involving drivers in their 20s and 30s decreased by 11.9% (an average annual decrease of 4.1%), and the increase rate for drivers in their 40s and 50s was 13.4% (an average annual increase of 4.3%), about one-third of the increase rate for elderly drivers.

Experts have suggested that emergency automatic braking systems (AEBS) should be installed in vehicles driven by elderly drivers. Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Traffic Safety Culture Research Institute analyzed that installing AEBS in elderly drivers' vehicles reduces rear-end collisions by an average of 22.5% compared to vehicles without AEBS. However, as of last year, the AEBS installation rate in elderly drivers' vehicles was only 16.4%, meaning 8 out of 10 vehicles did not have AEBS, which is half the average installation rate of 30%. In Japan, elderly drivers receive up to 100,000 yen (about 890,000 KRW) in subsidies and a 9% discount on vehicle insurance premiums when purchasing Support Cars equipped with AEBS.