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Elderly driver hits 2 pedestrians, killing one, near Nara temple

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 79-year-old man hit two pedestrians with his car Sunday outside Todaiji, a Buddhist temple in western Japan designated as a UNESCO 

Another reckless Japanese senior driver driver stunt, this is won't be the last one.

-7 ( +9 / -16 )

Sadly there is no exact "age" which a person has to stop driving a motor vehicle, and even with cognitive skills testing every year, or every six months, or even every three months, accidents like this will continue to happen.

Only reason it makes the news here is due to the age of this guy. That's all, as accidents like this actually happen rather often here in Japan, not exactly, but mistaking the accelerator for the brake, and age is not a factor.

If he was 30 years old, this more than likely would never have made the news here. Locally maybe, but not here, as JT doesnt typically write about car accidents.

13 ( +17 / -4 )

This problem not going away...better find solutions...the tech. is probably available.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

This problem not going away...better find solutions...the tech. is probably available.

It is, it's called 'self-driving cars'.

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

Dejavu anyone?

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

Some actual stats would be relevant.

It would help put the "problem" with aging drivers into perspective.

Buuuuut it's probably asking too much.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Hopefully within this decade we wont be seeing these accidents anymore, at least in aging Japan Autonomous Emergency Braking System (AEBS) should be mandatory for new cars.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

There are elderly people in Japan that are still driving with Alzheimer, or even after having a brain stroke, what are we talking about?

The law is useless on this matter, can only hope only the self aware and common sense of a person to stop driving if he is no longer 100%.

Sadly, that's not the case here, in Japan.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

The driver’s license issuing policy should be revised urgently . Every so often there are innocent people dying from so called accidents of elderly. If someone is over 70, they need to go through intensive physical checks before letting them keep their license. If they are over 75, the should not be allowed to drive anymore.

innocent people shouldn’t be dying or seriously injured because there are elderly drivers around. It’s not fear for so many people whose lives are destroyed by elderly drivers.

-12 ( +3 / -15 )

My sympathy to the victims.

Since this was a pedestrianized area requiring special permission to drive, it might be a good idea to limit the cars allowed to drive there to ones with collision detection brakes and other sudden acceleration protections. That makes more sense to me that blanket bans on old people driving or old people driving in other places with zero pedestrians, not the hundreds you get near Todaiji, the accident spot here.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

I stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake has become the I was drunk and don't remember excuse. Some people no matter what just won't accept responsibility. When driving anytime and anywhere you should always be focused on driving. This is especially true in an area where pedestrians are everywhere.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Cars should never be going where there is no pedestrian protection like barriers or concrete blocks or bollards, or at least pavement/sidewalk.

It is not happening in my country for that reason, while it is good to know also that because less and less youngsters in Japan, this is bound to be more frequent. It gets overall safer.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Stubborn grampas do it again. No one over the age of 60 has business behind the wheel, period.

-14 ( +0 / -14 )

inadvertently stepped on the accelerator, mistaking it for the brake pedal

Every. Single. Time.

Perhaps car manufacturing needs to change so that this mistake isn't so easy to make for so many people.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Stubborn grampas do it again. No one over the age of 60 has business behind the wheel, period.

Lol! Let's hear you say that when you hit 60!

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Stubborn grampas do it again. No one over the age of 60 has business behind the wheel, period.

Brad Pitt is 60. Would your blanket statement include him as well?

7 ( +9 / -2 )

he inadvertently stepped on the accelerator, mistaking it for the brake pedal

Well, isn't that a total surprise?

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Not again..

No more elderly driving..

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Stubborn grampas do it again. No one over the age of 60 has business behind the wheel, period.

60s is still good for drivers..

No more than 70..

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

El RataToday  01:53 pm JST

Stubborn grampas do it again. No one over the age of 60 has business behind the wheel, period.

... but then El Rata woke up one day and realize he has more time in his past than in the future before reaching 60.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

No more than 70..

There are some pretty damn good 70 year old drivers around. It's not about age alone,

6 ( +8 / -2 )

 Todaiji, a Buddhist temple in western Japan designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, 

That's the most important part for a lead paragraph? That the site of the accident and death is a UNESCO site?

For those hauling out their pitchforks and torches bleating for people a certain age to be barred from driving:

At 70 people who renew their driver's licenses need to take a refresher course under the eye of a driving instructor. This includes, of course, a lecture on driving, a driving test, and an eye test that is more comprehensive than the normal driver's license renewal eye test. It includes checking peripheral vision and distance. After 75 people also have to take a dementia test which should be more stringent than it is.

When I turned 70 and took the refresher course, one of my classmates had trouble finding the door out of the classroom, then had trouble finding the car, then got in the passenger side. I didn't find out but I hope he didn't get his license renewed.

As the instructors were there to check driving ability and had no authority to stop someone on dementia-related skills, I fear he passed.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I was at the DMV I’m Tokyo for a renewal and the elderly woman taking the eye test before me failed miserably.

The DMV staff told her to take a break and she can try again. While it was a nice gesture, this woman clearly should not be having her license renewed.

With more and more elderly people driving these days, they really should be required to take the physical driving test more frequently.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

My car has full surround bicycle and pedestrian LiDAR/sensors.

work’s fantastic in tiny Tokyo streets when mama-chariots come blasting around blind corners at top speed the wrong way down a one way street etc, and people walking looking at their phone who almost walk into the side, or even back of my car as I am driving slow… and more instances were some nutter was driving like a lunatic and nearly hit me. The roads in Japan… it’s a jungle out there!

This technology is available now and it works very very well. It needs to be mandatory for any car a person over 70 drives. It would have stopped this before it happens.

My car’s “auto pilot” self driving works wonderfully too.

Actually should be mandatory on every car on sale now.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Why do they always arrest people for accidents?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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