lifestyle

'Driving graduation ceremonies' help coax elderly to give up licenses

12 Comments
By CJ, SoraNews24

In Japan, there has been a lot of news in recent years about car accidents. And among those reported, elderly drivers have made headlines with reckless driving or simply mistaking the brake and accelerator functions.

To try to combat this, police have been asking elderly drivers to surrender their licenses. But there are many drivers who are too stubborn or simply don’t want to give up the freedom they’ve had for many years.

So, NEXCO (Nippon Expressway Co Ltd) came up with the concept of giving the driver a “driving graduation ceremony” to help them ease into the next chapter of their lives minus their cars.

▼ The story of an elderly man and his family become the back drop of the video that shows off one such ceremony.

Titled "Dad and Mom’s Graduation Trip ~The Last Long Drive~" , we are taken inside the real story of a 78-year-old father and his family.

Having driven for over 48 years, his family was beginning to worry about him taking the road, afraid that he would get into an accident one day. But no amount of reasoning would persuade him to give up his license.

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So his family proposed a graduation trip, where he would take the wheel one last time, bringing his wife on a road trip.

He had driven his family for many years, taking them on many road trips. So what better way to draw a close than a road trip? He could enjoy being on the road and spending precious time with his wife.

They enjoyed snacks along the way and even spent a relaxing night at an onsen. But the most unforgettable surprise would come on the last day, when he drove to where his family waited for them, the venue of the graduation ceremony.

He was met with a big screen that projected images of his trips with his families and a marching band to celebrate the occasion. His children and grandchildren came forward to congratulate their father/grandfather on his graduation and to thank him for taking them on trips up til now.

His wife, who had known about this ceremony from the get-go and kept it a secret, also read out a thank you letter, to show support, appreciation and love. The video ends with flowers, tears and smiles, touching the hearts of those watching.

It’s an interesting idea. Let’s hope more of these new ideas will start to come out to help lessen accidents on the road.

Source, images: Youtube/E-NEXCO driveplaza

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Elderly motorists in Japan given option to “graduate from driving” to prevent accidents

-- Kind-hearted yet cautious driver takes photo of fallen motorist before helping her up

-- Twitter users band together to help find road-rage attacker in Osaka 【Video】

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

12 Comments
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Driving is not a right it is a privilege, this is Japanese law, old people should be tested every 6 months because a car is a deadly weapon.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@gogogo -  old people should be tested every 6 months because a car is a deadly weapon.

They are tested every every six months. :(

So, they think a ceremony is going to make the elderly give up their licences? They refuse to address the reason elderly do not give up their licences. Yes, in some cases, it is because they are stubborn. However, in most cases it is because they have no alternative. If they give up their licences they become prisoners in their own homes. The bus services are inadequate, unreliable or nonexistent in many areas. Taxis are too expensive and ambulances are not free for the elderly. They have no choice than to drive.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

If your elderly loved ones have trouble finding where they parked, it could be an early sign of memory issues, and it might not be a good idea for them to drive alone. It also would be wise to have tests done.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Driving is a privilege not a right here in the states.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Yesterday I saw a car with one of those “elderly driver” stickers and it was literally parked completely DIAGONALLY in the parking spot. It was almost horizontal. It was the worst parking I’ve ever seen. Made me terrified to think about how they drive if that’s how they park.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Need to provide government services.

Hawaii government has transportation the elderly and handicapped.

ANYWHERE you want to go for a flat rate of $2 one way.

Affordable and convenient.

Mom gave up driving at 60.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

A larger issue here is that although many of the younger generation have moved to the cities, the elderly in the rural areas are reliant on cars for everyday services. They often don't have anyone to take them shopping and run errands which is why they are often so reluctant to give up driving. Bus and train services often don't service these areas, and taxis are very expensive

They also don't have the technical ability to order online.

To add to that, the government and the Taxi unions seem very reluctant to allow cheaper (Uber, Lyft etc ) services into this area.

If the elderly had a cheap alternative to driving, it might be easier to persuade them to give up.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Natsu823 must be my neighbor. Live in Manoa??

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If the guy’s cognitive functions have been tested and not found wanting, it seems a cruel trick to spring a ‘graduation’ ceremony on him.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Avoiding once again the real issue....The population is aging fast so what do they want? A country full of old people stuck in their homes ? How about making better bus routes in less populated areas where older people have no choice but drive to get basic necessities ? How about making cab fares lower for them ? As for every issue, japan is just creating a smoke screen to hide it...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

So when Self-driving cars finally arrive will they need to get their licenses back ?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yes I think technology will come to the rescue, Tesla and Toyota are both working on safer mobility options.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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