"13 Million Elderly Drivers by 2040"... How Is License Management Handled Abroad? [News SeolCham]

(26) Is Elderly Driving Okay As It Is?
Elderly Driving Traffic Accidents Up... 20% of All Accidents Last Year
Under Current Law, License Renewal Every 3 Years from Age 75
"Current License Retention and Cancellation Limits... Restricted Licenses Should Be Considered"
Japan Issues Support Car Restricted Licenses for Elderly Drivers

Editor's Note'Seolcham' is a newly coined term meaning to refer to the explanation for more details. In [News Seolcham], we aim to pinpoint and explain in more detail the parts of the news that require fact-checking or further explanation.

Following the Seoul City Hall Station reverse driving accident that claimed 9 lives, another incident involving a vehicle crashing into the National Medical Center has occurred, intensifying calls for elderly drivers to surrender their licenses. After it was revealed that the drivers responsible for both accidents were 68 and 70 years old respectively, sparking public demand for countermeasures.

Traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers have been increasing annually. According to the Road Traffic Authority's Traffic Accident Analysis System, last year there were 39,614 traffic accidents caused by drivers aged 65 and older, an increase of about 24% compared to two years ago (31,841 cases). The proportion of accidents caused by drivers aged 65 and older accounted for 20% of all traffic accidents last year (198,296 cases), up from 17.6% the previous year.

The proportion of elderly drivers is also expected to rise sharply. According to the National Assembly Legislative Research Office's report titled "Overseas Cases and Implications of Elderly Driver License Management Systems: Focusing on Practical Driving Evaluation and Conditional Licenses" (2023), by 2025, approximately 4.98 million people, about half of the total elderly population (10.59 million), are expected to hold driver's licenses. It is estimated to increase to 7.25 million in 2030 and 9.94 million in 2035.

By 2040, it is projected that 13.16 million people, or 76% of the total elderly population (17.24 million), will hold driver's licenses. This is about three times the number of elderly license holders (4.53 million) as of June last year.

Currently, the government sets the license renewal cycle for drivers aged 75 and older at three years. During this period, cognitive ability tests and mandatory traffic safety education must be completed. However, as the number of traffic accidents involving elderly drivers increases, voices calling for restrictions on their driving qualifications are gaining strength.

Accordingly, there are calls to apply differentiated driving permission ranges based on driving ability. This involves issuing conditional licenses according to the elderly driver's driving ability and conducting evaluations to assess actual driving skills. Songrim Lee, Legislative Research Officer of the Political and Administrative Research Office's Administrative Safety Team, who authored the report "Overseas Cases and Implications of Elderly Driver License Management Systems: Focusing on Practical Driving Evaluation and Conditional Licenses," points out that elderly license management should not operate solely by license qualification maintenance or cancellation. This is because even drivers of the same age may have different physical and cognitive abilities, and there is a risk of infringing on the mobility rights of elderly people.

The officer suggested, "To complement the drawbacks of an either-or approach, we can consider applying different driving permission ranges based on the elderly driver's driving ability. It is necessary to consider issuing conditional licenses that impose various restrictions such as time, area, speed, and auxiliary devices for elderly drivers whose general licenses are unsuitable due to declines in physical and cognitive functions."

[Image source=Pixabay]

In fact, several countries overseas include 'restricted licenses' in their elderly driver management systems. In the United States, the system varies by state. For example, in California, drivers aged 70 and older must undergo license reexamination and may be required to take additional driving ability tests based on medical evaluations. Depending on driving ability, they can obtain restricted licenses that allow driving only within their residential area. Illinois also sets different license renewal cycles by age, and if a general license is deemed unsuitable, a limited license with restrictions on duration or time can be issued.

In Japan, the license renewal cycle for elderly drivers aged 71 and older is set at three years. During this period, elderly drivers must attend special training, and those aged 75 and older must undergo cognitive function tests. Drivers with certain traffic violation records must also take temporary cognitive function tests and practical driving evaluations. In 2022, a limited license for support cars equipped with safety driving assistance functions such as emergency braking devices for elderly drivers was newly introduced.

In New Zealand, licenses must be renewed at ages 75 and 80. Drivers aged 80 and older must renew their licenses every two years, during which a medical certificate for driving fitness from a doctor is mandatory. If medically cleared but unable to guarantee safe driving ability, a certificate allowing driving only under certain spatial and temporal restrictions is issued, enabling the driver to obtain a restricted license.