Alarming Surge in Car Accidents Involving Elderly Drivers Sparks Concerns

SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — Newly released data indicates a concerning surge in car accidents involving drivers aged 65 and older, marking a record high in the past year.

This uptick has been a persistent trend since 2017, with a brief interruption attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Unfortunately, this pattern has resumed since 2021, raising alarm.

In response, the government is considering measures like reducing the renewal period for licenses of individuals aged 75 and above. However, experts argue that more comprehensive systemic solutions are imperative.

According to the Traffic Accident Analysis System (TAAS) of the Korea Expressway Agency, a staggering 34,652 accidents involved elderly drivers aged 65 and older in 2022, the highest figure since the inception of relevant statistics in 2005. This contrasts with an overall 3.1 percent decrease in traffic accidents during the same period.

The statistics show a trajectory of increasing accidents involving elderly drivers: 26,713 in 2017, 30,112 in 2018, and 33,239 in 2019. However, in 2020, amid reduced traffic volume due to the pandemic, accidents decreased by 6.5 percent year-on-year, totaling 31,072.

Regrettably, 2021 witnessed a resurgence with 31,841 accidents, reflecting a 2.5 percent year-on-year increase, followed by an alarming 8.8 percent surge last year.

Remarkably, traffic accidents involving elderly drivers led to 735 fatalities in the previous year, constituting a 3.7 percent increase from the preceding year. This stands in stark contrast to the overall 6.2 percent reduction in traffic-related fatalities during the same period.

While the number of injuries declined by 3.4 percent year-on-year, injuries stemming from incidents involving elderly drivers spiked by 10.2 percent.

Notably, the proportion of fatalities attributed to elderly drivers reached an all-time high of 26.9 percent of all traffic-related fatalities last year. For every 100 traffic accidents, there were 1.39 fatalities and 2.12 elderly drivers involved.

This alarming statistic underscores the heightened risk of human casualties in accidents involving elderly drivers compared to other age groups.

The surge in traffic accidents and related fatalities and injuries among elderly drivers can be largely attributed to the rapidly growing aging population, leading to an increased number of drivers in this demographic. 

Statistics from the National Police Agency reveal that over the past decade, the total number of license holders has increased by an average of 2.5 percent annually. However, the number of drivers aged 65 and above has soared by an astonishing 11.2 percent each year.

Individuals aged 65 or older accounted for 12.9 percent of all license holders last year, with their numbers increasing from 2.79 million in 2017 to 4.38 million—a remarkable 1.6-fold increase within five years.

Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)