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Japan aims to keep elderly driving with compact EV subsidies

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Two problems with this Kei-Kei EV push.

Kei cars have worse safety record than regular cars, and this Kei-Kei EVs will be even less safer than Kei cars. These things are basically death traps.

What makes you think that the elderly who can't drive a regular Kei car can drive a Kei-Kei EV better? The solution is self-driving, not even smaller vehicles.
11 ( +12 / -1 )

Size does not matter when it comes to "elderly" drivers!

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Japanese "logic" on full display here. Old people in any size of vehicle is dangerous, even if it's an electric vehicle.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

anything to sell MORE....

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Old people need to get around, too. Not everyone over 50 is past it.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Japan is considering subsidizing purchases of ultracompact electric vehicles to promote their use as an alternative to full-size cars amid an increase in traffic accidents involving elderly drivers, officials said Saturday.

So, due to so many elderly drivers being involved in accidents they are going to make it easier for the elderly to buy cars. Yeah, that makes perfect sense, NOT!

9 ( +13 / -4 )

Instead of these kinds of things, push the elderly to take more public transportation and also things like taxi and Uber.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

Cannot do or offer something with so scam money from the pension they pay? My town have a mini bus that drive people around to clinic, etc

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Didn't they offer alternatives for the elderly to give up their license?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

(笑), Great idea, I can see the ad campaign now. Toyota Auto Body, at maximum speeds of 60 kilometers! If you're lucky, おじいちゃん will olny hurt instead of kill your three year old child because... you know 87 year olds have a 'right' to drive.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

Instead of these kinds of things, push the elderly to take more public transportation and also things like taxi and Uber.

Why are you so judgmental towards old people? Not every old person is a danger behind the wheel.

Hilarious that you constantly whine about blanket statements disparaging Jaoan, but feel free to make blanket statements.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

The cheapest version costs around 800,000 yen, and so far only some 10,000 units have been sold in Japan.

This is the real problem the Ministry is trying to solve, it has nothing to do with reducing the number of accidents involving elderly drivers.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

The oldsters will still try to drive them onto the highways here...

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Old people need to get around, too. Not everyone over 50 is past it.

Over 50? More like over 70!

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Owing two cars. One kei for neighborhood transport and normal for long distance and family trips.

We are living in a rural area and car is comfortable to go around.

But for me no (kei) ev. Charging at night is ok but day is awful. And there need to be more charging points.

And speed doesn't matter if (elderly) people are overseeing traffic lights and hit a pediatrician with 50 km not much can be done.

Just equip all kei with the latest technology and maybe it would be saver.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

driverless cars cant come quickly enough...

Why are you so judgmental towards old people? Not every old person is a danger behind the wheel.

> Hilarious that you constantly whine about blanket statements disparaging Jaoan, but feel free to make blanket statements.

excellent point chip!!

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Stupid.

Give tests and check-ups every half a year to over 65 year-old drivers.

Make them wanna return their lisences.

And STOP WASTING TAX MONEY!

0 ( +5 / -5 )

They really don't want the free ramen lol

4 ( +4 / -0 )

They do cognitive testing for elderly drivers a few times a year. Obviously, the testing is not stringent enough and they do not take away as many licenses as they should. The imitative should be to provide the elderly with more options with public transport and subsided taxis. Making it cheaper fir them to buy cars is absurd.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Elderly people and new technology don't mix. If they crash these cars into people, which they will, they'll just have another excuse.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Is this a solution???

3 ( +4 / -1 )

So now smaller cars will run over kids when the oldies long past their prime driving years mistake the

gas for the brake. As with that 88 year old loser who ran over and killed a mother and her child. The solution is to get old people off the road entirely as they cannot safely drive any longer. Anyone who drives sees this everyday on the roads. Old drivers being confused by stop signs and stopping in the middle of intersections, turning into lanes without being aware of the cars around them, driving not offramp of freeways, slowing down to half the speed of other cars as they know they cannot drive any longer and on and on. And then sadly running over people daily in this country.

Just sent up bus or taxi services for the elderly, it takes longer but they are not productive any longer so they have plenty of time. They go to just to two places basically anyway, to shop and to the hospital.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

For anyone like me who doesn't understand what an "ultracompact" is, here's Toyota's.

http://coms.toyotabody.jp/index.html

Never mind no side airbags, this vehicle has no sides. You can fall out of it.

As an environmentalist, small is good, and these little things are a more sensible way to transport one person than a full sized car. Remember bad environmental things = more deaths from flooding and heatwaves. However, a lot of the problems with old people's mobility will remain. Since there are a lot of old people and a lot of situations, the solution will vary from person to person. In the highest profile case of why we are talking about this, the Ikebukuro accident, the solution was for the driver to take a taxi or ride the underground, possibly with a wheelchair to and from the stations. I wouldn't blame a lack of infrastructure or a lack of tech for that tragedy.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Invest in public transportation for the disabled and elderly.

My elderly mom stop diving at 65 and uses the Handivan in Hawaii.

There are hundreds of vans in Hawaii.

$2 anywhere each way. Resveration a day in advance.

Pick up at house and take her anywhere.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

My elderly mom stop diving at 65 and uses the Handivan in Hawaii.

You have a wise mother. Japan can do the same of the old folks here as well. Some will have to forced

to do it as they do not recognize they own debilities. Like that 88 year old who ran over people. Or his

family who knew better but said nothing. Now two people are dead because of the delusion of the

88 year old driver and his family which said nothing.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

While I understand many of your concern for elderly drivers, it is extremely obvious that most of you live in cities with fairly decent public transportation. But get out a little into rural areas, where a lot of elderly still live and see that there is just no other choice but driving yourself. Many of you say Uber or taxis, but try taking one each day twice a day, and see how much your transportation bill will run in a year. I don't know what the best way forward is, but it really pain me to see so many rather young people completely dismiss a generation of the population just trying to get by.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

What MarkX says.

I live 16 kilometers from the nearest supermarket and they stopped the local buses about 25 years ago. There is a mini bus that makes the trip twice in the morning and twice in the evening, but that is hardly practical. How are people expected to live if they do not drive? The only answer is for renewed investment in public transport.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Most people including the politicians seem to think all of Japan is just like Tokyo. Well it isn't. If you need kerosene to avoid freezing to death in winter and to get fuel for your water heater, well you cannot carry kerosene tanks on a bus and I think a taxi would also refuse. And plenty of other needful things you can't just casually get onto a rented ride. And no one is made out of money to just change their home infrastructure or start paying new and more expensive bills to please the eco-warriors and overzealous safety pundits. You want change? Well you better come up with some real solutions and be ready to pay for it with taxes.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

65 is very young to quit driving. My mom drove up to the day she passed away at 85. Nothing like taking away the freedom of movement of the aged,

1 ( +3 / -2 )

On demand minibuses already exist in some areas in Japan. Again, they are one solution for one kind of person in one kind of situation. In other situations, people's needs will be too great, the population density will be too low, or other solutions will work better. Fine solutions can also be wrecked by misuse. People calling the minibus and not being ready when it comes etc.

The traditional model in Japan is for families to live with and support older people. That may not be possible any more, but also means that it may not be possible for the old people affected by this change to continue living where they do on their own, especially in deep countryside. Some people think the countryside = nature = eco, but modern life in the countryside is not traditional or eco or really sustainable for ninety odd percent of residents. These days, it's all about motor transport.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

They should be requiring safety technology in ALL new vehicles: standard, kei, trucks, and otherwise.

They should also be pushing for tech and auto companies to create add-on systems for older vehicles, and REQUIRE them for older drivers, like over 65 or 70, as well as proper testing for vision, hearing and reflexes using simulators.

Encouraging more elderly drivers to drive doesn't really seem prudent.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Guessing more elderly people are going to be killed in a tin pot veichal. Or local councils could form a Pannel to talk about getting then to and fro from to doctors, supermarkets. And why are tax payers paying for this? Toyota has never paid tax, but get tax payers money. That doesn't seem fair.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This is like putting a cut on a band-aid over an open wound! What's to stop the same old people from driving fast? Kei cars can get up to 140kms, they're still made of metal which means they are still deadly. Instead of taking away their licenses at a certain age, they're creating a new problem. #facepalm and SMH.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The young are more likely to kill themselves than the aged. https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/10/us/porsche-crash-toms-river-trnd/index.html

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Can't comment directly on in Japan, but here in Australia, it's now mandatory the EV's have anti-collision inbuilt and automatically operational, some even have auto-parking too. Strange looks from those on the curb, when you take your hands off the wheel and the car moves into a curbside parking spot, it'll even warn you if the space is not sufficent for it to park. Really the only problems here are quietness and distances for EV's.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Why would any Government subsidise a vehicle, EV or otherwise to an age group that could be deemed to unable to drive or control that vehicle?

That is looney tunes. How many Mothers and three year olds does it take to work that out. Get a grip, invest in quality public transport.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The grand illusion that we stay young forever! We are all arriving there sooner than we think, and the years get faster as we get older.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Electric small cars are still dangerous when hit,

and/or when they hit something or someone, else.

How about frequently running shuttle services,

it's smaller than a bus, larger than a taxi.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

This makes no sense! No matter the size of a vehicle it is still a weapon when you smash the gas instead of the brake. This is NOT a solution. How incompetant is the Japanese Gov't when it comes to this? If yiu can barely walk or walk with assistance you are unfit to drive!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I am 65 and walk tens of thousands of steps a day at a good pace. Elderly drivers are not the main problem here. It is the quietness of the EV, and people of all ages ignoring stops signs and crosswalks.

Why bother to put stop signs up? They appear to just be art from what I have experienced.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Presumably these EVs will have automatic braking systems fitted at the very least.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I really am stunned at the number of people that advocate the deprival of rights in principle to an age group of which many, even most, can still drive.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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