85-year-old motorist hits teenage girls after ignoring family call not to drive

The two girls -- Miku Oshima, 18, and Sakura Ota, 16 -- were hit as they were heading to their high school on their bicycles for an opening ceremony for the new term.

That's really sad. I hope they are ok.

Maybe now they'll take away his keys

A car does not roll over after "bumping" into a wall. Words have meanings.

Take his licence away.

Elderly drivers on the streets is one of many reasons why people on their bikes should look before entering a road, not ride on the wrong side or the center of the road, etc. Confidence seems to trump common sense these days. I'm speaking in a general sense, not about this particular incident.

Pure old stubborn pride has led to him causing an accident, embarrassing his family, and most importantly hurting two young women. Take his license away, and if the women are pressing charges or seeking reparations he's gotta pay the piper. At the very least, one can hope he might listen to his family more, but the problem with such people is that they are stubborn to begin with and often get even more defensive when they are wrong.

The two girls -- Miku Oshima, 18, and Sakura Ota, 16 -- were hit as they were heading to their high school on their bicycles for an opening ceremony for the new term.

Interesting that the victims names are being published here. Typically speaking "minors" names, involved in crimes or accidents that do not result in death are not openly published to protect their identity.

This old guy, needs to spend some time in the koban jail room!

I am sure he had massively pressing business to attend to that was worth endangering other people's lives

Denying dementia is one of the first signs...despite the warnings given by persons close to him, and an accident...

Why do you assume dementia had anything to do with this?

While it is a possibility, it's more likely due to what most accidents like this are due:

Diminished senses, slowed reflexes, reduced motor function. You know, the standard symptoms of aging.

Narrow roads and an increasing number of narrow old minds on them along with a high number of bicyclists is a recipe for unfortunate events like this. I saw the footage of the accident... it appears the girls had no chance to get out of the way due to high walls directly to their left. Japan and its walls... some areas have regulated that walls can be no higher than 3 feet with new construction... which would probably give a bicyclist the chance to at least dive over the wall on a narrow street if they at least see the car coming. Any and all measures, within reason, need to be taken if elderly motorists continue to drive with abandon.

Yearly driving tests for the elderly are a good way to physically see whether they are still capable of driving.  But, in reality, his family are the most likely to know how bad he was.  They should have taken the keys away! 

I really hope both girls recover, they have long lives to live yet.  One is well known on Insta.  It is close to home this one!

elderly drivers responsible for around 10% of the total accidents that ended in a fatality in 2016.

Around 10%? That's extremely poor reporting. The exact statistic is 7%. If elderly drivers only account for 7% of road deaths, there are far worse dangers on the roads than elderly drivers. Yes, many of the older generation are poor drivers and have bad cognitive function, which is tested up to 4 times a year depending on the age group. However, considering drivers in the 20-30 years old age bracket account for more than 60% of road fatalities it would be more appropriate to focus your anger on this age group instead of the elderly.

Old people are supposed to be wise but slow.

Young people are unexperienced and fast.

Put signs on the car to show that.

Adapt car for vigilance functions, like a pacman/tetris test to start engine for instance.

Indeed Japanese roads are utterly dangerous to ride sometimes because unadapted to trafficof several types of moving means...like no pavement !

"The accident occurred before I could realize what had happened."

He is 85 years old, a global apocalypse could happen before he realizes anything. Severe testing necessary for driving license renewal after a certain age.

Its surely isn't dementia, but it seems to me to be just his selfish pride.As the old saying goes "Pride cometh before the fall". Those two innocent girls, I really hope to hear some good news about them. This guy should be made to pay LOTS!

Bungle, I think you bungled that one. I'm 84 years old, drive 25K a year now, down from a high of 40K a few years back,, over 1 1/2 million miles without an accident, play tennis 4 times a week. You're suggesting that because some older people cause accidents, that I should be forced to give up my license?. I'll go along with more frequent testing to be sure that there isn't a decline in ability, but giving up a license while perfectly capable of safely driving a vehicle is a rediculous non solution to a non problem

The number of one car/truck accidents in Japan is amazing, and not just limited to senior citizens. Loads of solo commercial vehicle accidents are caused by drivers who are pushed to extreme fatigue by their work loads, thus resulting in the same driving skills of an 85 year old.

Weak family

A family member take charge

Take away and hide the keys

Sent him to his room

It's no good just telling someone they're not allowed to drive anymore: there needs to be some provision of an alternative means of transport. You can't tell someone they have no option but to sit at home and vegetate because they've had too many birthdays.

Kawabata was apparently on his way to the local senior citizens' welfare centre when the accident occurred. Unless there is adequate public transport, or a shuttle service, or his family offer to drive him, his only options would be drive himself, or vegetate.

http://www.sankei.com/affairs/news/180110/afr1801100009-n1.html

That's pretty callous. They aren't "getting themselves killed" - they are killed by cars. Go slower - and/or demand separated and protected bicycle lanes.

My words might be considered a bit harsh, BUT I see old folks driving their bicycles ALL over the road at times, I always give them a VERY wide berth as they are unpredictable.

Now don't get me started on all the elderly  drunk drivers of cars & bicycles, out where I live in the countryside it is RAMPANT, every ramen joint & izakaya send out 1000s of drunks onto roads EVERY night, it is considered still somewhat normal, but is changing slowly, VERY slowly, the old guys especially feel entitled to do as they please & DO SO!!

sensei258 - Maybe now they'll take away his keys

That's probably not necessary because the car rolled on its roof and is most likely unrepairable.

The elderly should also be restricted from riding bikes as well. Both are a danger to innocent others.

A mistake on a bicycle might result in an injury to the rider or to pedestrian - but there is almost no chance at all of actually killing someone.. Cars kill 4700 people(mostly pedestrians and cyclists) a year in japan. Huge difference.

Alex Einz: "That old geezer deserves a hanging in my book and all his family hopefully pays all they got as reparations to the victims, they should have taken the key away."

Ridiculous. No one was killed here. He should have to pay compensation, have his keys taken away, and charged with negligent driving resulting in injury, but "hanging"? You're suggesting he be murdered for causing an accident. As for punishment, the family seems to have done all they could within their rights, so if you want to go putting blame on others for this maybe blame the laws that allowed the man to keep his license despite the previous accident.

However, considering drivers in the 20-30 years old age bracket account for more than 60% of road fatalities it would be more appropriate to focus your anger on this age group instead of the elderly.

....and, rather than getting angry at some subset ,or even the victims(never ourselves), maybe it would be best to do something that actually works - since we know 99% percent of road fatalities are caused by cars(their speed and their mass), we should re-design roads, whenever possible, to encourage active transport (with sidewalks, bike lanes, and road diets), and/or public transport - and to actively discourage car use.

Elderly drives are responsible for around 10% of the total accidents that ended in a fatality in 2016.

Are the other 90% of total accidents mostly caused by young drivers zig sagging in and out of traffic at high speeds?

Percentage wise, no doubt the elderly drivers exercise more safety caution than the younger drivers.

When there is an elderly driver accident - Younger drivers jump up and down pointing their finger - yet they are many of the ones creating the other 90% majority of fatal accidents.

Yeah but lots of oldies on bikes veer all over the place and can easily get themselves killed & ruin the lives of drivers who have no chance to avoid these old foggies & are blamed for oldies reckless bike driving, I see this all the time, just need to honestly deal with the issues for old folks driving anything!

That's pretty callous. They aren't "getting themselves killed" - they are killed by cars. Go slower - and/or demand separated and protected bicycle lanes.

Take his licence away.

This is not going to stop someone from driving. Better to take away the car!

Elderly drivers cause about 10% (or 7 according to disillu) needs to be looked at more clearly.

Firstly elderly drivers travel distances are way way less than other age groups. Way less. Elderly drivers speeds are way slower on average. So they are causing hundreds of deaths through minimal traffic exposure.

In addition that statistic is only referring to drivers out of total traffic deaths. It doesn't mention how many elderly pedestrians / cyclists were largely responsible for their own deaths.

In general, the amount of time the elderly are on the road in relation to death and injury, is out of proportion - negatively.

As society is rapidly aging this will only increase. Better to create concrete plans and mangement systems now to save more lives.

One girl and her bike were thrown, but it looks like his car either smashed into or rolled over on the other one, the bicycle is completely wrecked. TBS news said that bystanders were performing CPR on one of the girls until the ambulance came. It looks serious. I, too, hope they can recover.

Another one!

japan needs to set an example for these people. Lock him up for the rest of his life. It could have been much worse.

Yeah but lots of oldies on bikes veer all over the place and can easily get themselves killed & ruin the lives of drivers who have no chance to avoid these old foggies & are blamed for oldies reckless bike driving, I see this all the time, just need to honestly deal with the issues for old folks driving anything!

That's pretty callous. They aren't "getting themselves killed" - they are killed by cars. Go slower - and/or demand separated and protected bicycle lanes.

totally agree. drive slow in small streets. stop at intersections. there are special times for extra precaution. school kids and when the old people come out when its warm to go shopping.

Why not install speed bumps and speed bumps? If driver doesn't slow down appropriately, the car gets damaged.

Why not install speed bumps and speed bumps? If driver doesn't slow down appropriately, the car gets damaged.

Yup, you have to slow down over speed bumps or damage your car.

Narrow roads here have a speed limit of 40-50km. Watch the youtube video and you'll see why the girls are in a coma.. He was flying!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=30&v=O1ugj76IuPI

Agree with @matt. After 65, yearly tests. If staff are trained to spot dementia, they can prevent this, assuming he wasn’t drunk. It is not such a hassle for a retired person to pop down to their local office for an hour.

The elderly should also be restricted from riding bikes as well. Both are a danger to innocent others.

The sooner self-driving vehicles are successfully developed the better!

Japan has begun implementing a stricter cognitive function test for elderly people who wish to renew their driver's license as authorities bid to curb the rise of serious traffic accidents. The government has also been campaigning for elderly drivers to voluntarily give up their licenses.

> The also should be retested annually, and even more frequently after 80

Kiyokatsu Kawabata allegedly hit the two girls with his vehicle in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, at around 8:25 a.m. on Tuesday, leaving them unconscious,

What CONDITION are they in ?

Does unconscious mean in a coma? The poor girls are in a coma.

Lock him up for a good 3 years if the girls recover. Life if they don’t fully recover.

Old b**s like him are incapable of being told what to do.

Denying dementia is one of the first signs...despite the warnings given by persons close to him, and an accident...

Yes, you at 84 have to give away your license, how about instead of winging about it, make an example before you kill somebody.

That old geezer deserves a hanging in my book and all his family hopefully pays all they got as reparations to the victims, they should have taken the key away.