A public notice encouraging elderly drivers to voluntarily return licenses at a driver’s license test center in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 22 (Korea Bizwire) — In the midst of an increase in the share of elderly drivers (aged 65 and older) on the road, traffic accidents caused by such drivers are emerging as a controversial social issue in South Korea.
Against this backdrop, a local research institute stressed that it’s important to address the issue by developing technical solutions rather than by toughening administrative regulations for elderly drivers.
The share of those over 65 years of age among domestic driver’s license holders has been on an upward trend, rising from 8 percent in 2016 to 11.1 percent last year, according to a report by the Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATECH).
There were 114,795 traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers last year, accounting for 10.5 percent of all traffic accidents. This figure was up 2.4 percentage points compared to 8.1 percent in 2016.
Among fatalities caused by traffic accidents, elderly drivers accounted for 23.4 percent of such fatalities, higher than the 17.7 percent reported in 2016.
The KATECH claimed that instead of toughening the management of driver’s licenses, including a shorter license renewal period for elderly drivers, the government should place more focus on constant prevention and technical solutions.
The institute stressed that after thoroughly analyzing the cognitive and behavioral characteristics of vulnerable drivers including elderly drivers and the causes of traffic accidents, it concluded that advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) should be developed for such drivers and installation should be mandatory with the cost offset by insurance or tax benefits.
“It’s not all elderly drivers who cause more traffic accidents. Excessive administrative regulations could cause problems from the perspective of fairness, while having a negative impact on the self-efficacy of elderly drivers,” said Lee Ho-jung, a senior researcher at the KATECH.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
