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1 dead, 5 injured after elderly driver loses control of car

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Self-driving vehicles should be a requirement for people over a certain age.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Stop driving at 60? Are you serious? There should be no mandatory cut off age for driving. However, the cognitive testing should be more stringent and more often. At present drivers over 80 are tested bi-annually. Drivers between 70 and 80 are tested yearly.

However, I know many drivers in their eighties who are much more responsible drivers than many of the younger ratbags I see hooning around the streets, usually in black 'wanna be yak' cars.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The blue car in the photo is not the kei that was rear-ended. The blue car is a station wagon, not a kei. The kei can be seen in other photos of the accident.

The old lady who caused the accident was driving an Aqua, the smaller version of the Prius. The newest version of the Prius has pre-collision braking, which quite possibly could have stopped or reduced the severity of this accident. My wife drives a 2015 kei by Daihatsu with pre-collision braking, but it doesn't work when its raining and/or the wipers are on. Apparently the system in more expensive cars is unaffected by rain. Hopefully the tech will roll out onto far more cars on the road, as will self-driving itself.

In the photo I saw the crash happened outside one of those big supermarket complexes that are taking the place of regular supermarkets and shotengai in the 'burbs and inaka. They all work on the assumption that everyone drives there. You cannot really tell people not to drive when your society is only increasing people's dependence on cars.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Cut off the DL at age 60. Old people are horrible drivers. Letting old people drive is like giving a gun to a five year old.

Wow, so 60 is old? How old are you? 22? 60 is not "old" pal. 85 is old and my pops still drives, maybe his last year. Accidents happen. That's life. Unless a person is diagnosed with a disease that would impair their driving, a simple on the road driving test would be great for anyone over 75.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Cut off the DL at age 60. Old people are horrible drivers. Letting old people drive is like giving a gun to

a five year old. You just know it will turn out bad. Japan is legalizing murder by letting old people get behind the wheel.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Why did I know I could say "Saitama" before reading past the headline... oh man.

tresstingggg how to mke post on here from 71 year old blind automatci Saitama resident

0 ( +0 / -0 )

You are again misguidING, "ListenTheTruth". If you want to hear again, again, and again an outrage at criminals and failed social elements there is something wrong with you. The break the law, they face the justice. Humanity have not found a way to prevent such deviant tendencies to manifest in frail human minds. Yet THAT could be prevented. Every time THIS happens, I am saddened that some basic common sense could not prevail over the fear of accepting ones weakness due to natural(NATURAL!) aging process of both mind and body of human species. Or, which is worse, a feeling of self-entitlement that they express over having a car and driving it... "Until the bitter end". I refuse such... such improper way of making others around you suffer when it happens.

If you have just assumed drunkards ruining decent people lives and elderly who are possesed by fundamental human fear are similar,... boy, check your privilege.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yet, how many have been killed --murdered IMO-- by drunk drivers this year, the last decade? Where the outrage, the scorn and derision towards those that kill when they KNOW they shouldn’t drive?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Why did I know I could say "Saitama" before reading past the headline... oh man.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Introduce Japan to the world of manual/real driving. I'm hope one day the auto gear box dies in my car so i can use it as an excuse for the Mrs to have a manual put in.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I once hit the accelerator instead of the brake and put a small dent in another vehicle in a car park. A contributing factor was that I'd just moved my seat forward to give more back seat legroom and perhaps not realised my feet were in different positions. I was about 30 at the time, so you can't always blame the oldies for such mistakes. (Thankfully not had any accident since.)

RIP Yoshiko Ichikawa.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

So what age should the cutoff be?

How about the same age for cutoff that they have for commercial pilots?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Strangerland: "I'm pretty sure they already do that. Everyone has to renew their license periodically."

They have periodic tests, but I don't think they become annual until 75 (that may have changed). They most certainly should be. They also have 'senility tests' that they started some years back, but as of yet they are unable to take away a license based on the results, we just see the usual "encouragement" for people who do badly to give the licences up. So, that should be the absolute minimum for a cut-off. On top of that they should have to meet physical conditions that could relate to driving impairment (not just vision, but reaction tests, etc.), at a minimum of once a year after reaching 70. If they fail in any respect, including in reactions to various stimuli, their licences should be revoked then and there.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Mandatory phohibition from driving at 70 should do the trick. Not only it would reduce the risk of body malfunctioning for elderly people resulting in absolutely preventable deaths, it would also prevent elderly people, who have taken part in such events, from living with this terror for the rest of their lives.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

People 70+ or specified by a physician must have their licenses reviewed for a reduced price every year. More revenue for the government and less risk for the general population.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

mandatory tests at 70

I'm pretty sure they already do that. Everyone has to renew their license periodically.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@ strange

mandatory tests at 70, could be a option. sometimes pride comes before the ...crash.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Another person dies and others seriously or slightly injured because people believe the elderly should have a right to drive past a certain age.

So what age should the cutoff be?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Another person dies and others seriously or slightly injured because people believe the elderly should have a right to drive past a certain age. If you believe they should have this right, you also believe that this elderly woman should now go to prison for negligence resulting in death, for the rest of her life. Entirely preventable.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

FFS sort out this useless text editor!!!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

and rear-ending a minivehicle.

Seems she rear-ended that minivehicle on the nearside B pillar (assuming that is the said minivehicle in the picture).

1 ( +1 / -0 )

But, how many people were killed by younger drivers this week? I'm not saying this elderly driver was not at fault, but considering elderly drivers account for less than 10% of road fatalities, there are far more dangerous and reckless drivers on the roads who are not in this demographic. While it is good to see the authorities attempting to address the issue of elderly drivers, they should be focussing on a blanket driver education campaign and starting to get some of these reckless idiots off the roads. I drive every day and I'd estimate every second driver I pass has his or her phone in their hand. Then, there are the red light runners, back street speeders, those flipping reckless tip-truck drivers and the other idiots that change lanes like they are driving a slalom course without using indicators. And, let's not forget those idiots who do not stop at pedestrian crossings and swerve around the pedestrians. Don't pick on the elderly until you have addressed the other idiots on the roads.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

What measures can practically be provided to replace this dependence, 

Gov't subsidized Uber

0 ( +1 / -1 )

A better solution is manual transmission cars.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

What measures can practically be provided to replace this dependence

Easy - robo-cars. Let's hope they can be rolled out in the next 5-10 years.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Condolences to the family Yoshiko Ichikawa, 53.

Many senior citizens are entirely dependent on their cars, especially in rural areas. What measures can practically be provided to replace this dependence, so to prevent the grief that Yoshiko Ichikawa loved ones must be going through, happening again.

I listen to elderly family members in a state of denial, refusing to acknowledge their reaction times and eye sight are crucial for an ability to drive safely. The only option is for family members to take it in turns twice weekly to shuttle them around. A step in the right direction if buses and trams were more pensioner friendly.

The steps on the trams in Kochi are a nightmare for the elderly.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

With the woeful predictability of this kind of accident, there needs to be a drastic and draconian review of who gets to drive over the age of 70.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

And another one, without any signs of actions to prevent any further occurance. How many have to fall victim of such... "self-entitlement" of weakening human mind and body, before they fathom they are not supposed to play "game of chance" with the nature???

0 ( +1 / -1 )

more of this in the coming years as Japan age

7 ( +7 / -0 )

There needs to be a system in place for the elderly so they wont have to drive.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

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