The scene of a 5-car crash in Fukupka on Tuesday night Photo: YouTube
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Elderly driver, passenger die in Fukuoka 5-car crash; 9 in hospital

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Imagine that. ANOTHER crash caused by the elderly.Seems mro be a daily event. RIP.

4 ( +12 / -8 )

How many people have to die before they do something about this?

8 ( +14 / -6 )

Ok seeing as this is becoming commonplace, isn't it prudent or I dare say common sense to actually have the elderly participate in regular driving assessment tests? I'm thinking something will only change once one oyaji 'law maker' loses someone close to them.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

in a government survey on car crashes involving the elderly...

of 743 people questioned by phone, 43% responded

76% of respondents thought the government should do something

63.7% of respondents thought that carrying out a questionnaire to find a solution to a problem was 'somewhat pointless'

1 ( +3 / -2 )

This scourge just keeps on going. More innocent people are going to die and more stubborn elderly are going to keep driving without a care.

This is Japan's biggest problem at least in terms of road safety or pedestrian safety.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

The TV report shows utter carnage, what on earth has got to happen until something is done? A mandatory 30Km/hr maximum and large elder driver badge on the car? To ban every person over 70, or lower, would be feasible, but at what cost to the economy, half the workforce is over 60... Difficult decisions and actions have to be made.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The elderly population is the fastest growing criminal demographic in Japan.

The more they drive, the more they will kill.

In this case, no young lives were claimed by the selfishness of the elderly.

They only claimed each other.

0 ( +9 / -9 )

For starters, I think they need to change the renewal system. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe after age 75 the renewals are every three years. The cognitive and physical functions decline rapidly after that age so license renewals should be on an annual basis. There should also be incentives to return the licenses such as gift coupons, I think the elderly would appreciate this; heck I would! Most of all there needs to be cheap and convenient transportation for the elderly. Many need the wheels to go shopping and to the hospital or pharmacy to get their meds. The government has been woefully negligent on the aging population problem and instead of the old geezers in government making misogynistic statements about women making more babies they should be working the issue that is staring them in the face.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Yoing drivers are more dangerous.

-10 ( +7 / -17 )

Don’t be so quick to generalize elderly drivers based on a few accidents. This may have even been a suicide. Accidents involving elderly drivers are sensationalized by the media. There are many more accidents every day and many involve deaths, which are not reported. There are far worse dangers on Japanese roads than elderly drivers.

0 ( +10 / -10 )

The Japan times had an interesting tidbit of info about the cost of driving vs taking a cab: Wow, that includes 2 trips to Tokyo station per month for me:

"The magazine also urged elderly drivers to consider the cost of car ownership vis-a-vis taking taxis. For the former, estimated costs for fuel, parking, maintenance and safety inspection, insurance and taxes came to ¥40,475 per month. If taking a taxi a total of 48 times — broken down as 30 short trips, 16 medium trips and two longer trips of 14 kilometers — came to a total of ¥35,040 in fares, representing a saving of more than ¥5,000."

Source:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/05/25/national/media-national/fatal-traffic-mishaps-put-drivers-media-spotlight/#.XPb2ny2B0Wo

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Waoh, at 60 one is an elderly in Japan why not bring down the age further.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Regarding my post above, I was referring to the possibility of taking a cab for the elderly or anyone for that point instead of driving.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

How many high profile accidents will it take for J govt to act ? Just allow Uber like car sharing into the country to lower the taxi prices ( despite the taxi mafia howls of protests ) and provide free / substantailly lower cost of public transport for retirees. Back home my retired parents can travel anywhere for either free ( off peak times ) or 200yen equivalent in leak times. Do something along those lines, along with compulsory safety systems ( automatic braking etc ) now prevalent in new models in every car driven by elderly.

Brother, you are correct as usual, but the MO in Japan is to identify the problem, complain continuously about it, and then vehemently reject any REAL solution to solving it, ESPECIALLY IF the solution comes from a non japanese source

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Automatic braking sensors on all cars.

Start with auto brake licence limitation from the end of this year for all under 25s and over 65s when buying next car.

Over 75s to get automatic braking fitted on present car by early next year.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Bugle boy, Hustle,

Exactly right.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Automatic braking sensors on all cars.

Start with auto brake licence limitation from the end of this year for all under 25s and over 65s when buying next car.

Over 75s to get automatic braking fitted on present car by early next year.

As I've mentioned before this is the most logical approach. Make it a requirement to drive on their license, just like glasses. It's practically the same thing, a requirement to make sure you can safely operate the motor vehicle. Once you renew your license at 65 or so, this now becomes a requirement. You must drive a vehicle that has automatic braking systems installed.

Don't have one? Tough luck, install a system on your vehicle, OR the government could offer incentives and rebates based on needs of the people. Have a kei truck because your a farmer? Its a requirement for your work so the government will give a rebate of 80%. Live in Tokyo and just want to drive because you like it? Tough luck, it's on you to make it happen. There are many other ways to get around the city.

Pretty fair I think. Driving is a privilege not a right.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Young and old drivers should pay higher insurance premiums like in other countries.

Doubling or tripling it will discourage old drivers.

https://www.money.co.uk/car-insurance/car-insurance-for-over-80s.htm

2 ( +5 / -3 )

like the recent 'crash' by the (I think) 87 year-old ex Ministry something-or-other bloke... the damage is astounding.... how can these people even reach the necessary speed is boggling to me....

3 ( +3 / -0 )

in any case, it's not about age, it's about aptitude.... yet they still use the antiquated 'eyesight' test in licence applications, rather than perception tests, reaction-speed tests, compos mentis tests.... dark ages

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

The elderly have the power to vote in and out any politician who does not give them what they want and the elderly use that power with a vengeance. No change coming for at least twenty years.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Yoing drivers are more dangerous.

young driver can improve with experience, the only way they can get that experience is by driving, elderly driving skills will continue to degrade with age , no amount of training or experince will fix that.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

And yet another incident unnecessarily caused by old drivers.

Enough is enough already.

Old people need to stop driving!

0 ( +3 / -3 )

That’s two in two days. I ask again, how many more will it take?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Elderly drivers are another problem which would be solved outright by autonomous vehicle car sharing services.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

 If taking a taxi a total of 48 times — broken down as 30 short trips, 16 medium trips and two longer trips of 14 kilometers — came to a total of ¥35,040 in fares, representing a saving of more than ¥5,000."

I would like to know where those cheap taxis are. Even if I took all the shortest possible trips, at around 500 to 600 yen each way (say 1000 yen round trip), 48 trips would be ¥48,000. More realistically, the scenario they describe would cost closer to 70 thousand.

That could (and maybe should) be offset by discounts given to older passengers who can no longer drive.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Young and old drivers should pay higher insurance premiums like in other countries.

Youre suggesting government mandated prices? Doesn't sound like a free market to me. No thanks. Our current system already takes the risks of young and old drivers alike, and bills them accordingly. In fact, the more you prove your capability as a driver, the less you pay in premiums. Some old people have super cheap insurance. Why? Because they never caused an accident!

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

young driver can improve with experience, the only way they can get that experience is by driving, elderly driving skills will continue to degrade with age , no amount of training or experince will fix that.

So we should ascertain the peak of one's driving ability and then take away their license after that because their "skills will continue to degrade" eh? Nice one.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

And yet another incident unnecessarily caused by old drivers.

Enough is enough already.

Old people need to stop driving!

We could have the same conversation about young drivers, but here are more older drivers so more news about them. Per capita rates are higher for younger drivers.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

he collided with a vehicle before entering the intersection some 600 meters further on where his car hit at least four other vehicles

Did he not even realize he'd hit the first car?

You'd think that as people get older they would drive slower (at least that's generally the case in my country), but here in Japan if anything they seem to drive faster. Tragic that this accident had to happen to take this clown off the road.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I just saw the video of the car which I believe was travelling down the centre line at more than 100 kph. It wasn't a mistake and appeared deliberate. Were they having a big argument and driver put his foot down ? It was horrifying. Don't blame all elderly drivers as though they all have dementia or something.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Drove with a 77 year old the other day and his driving was impeccable!

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Expect to see more of these accidents as the population continues to age rapidly. No easy solution either, as cars are essential outside of the big cities. Subsidised ubers and taxis maybe, but then again not enough young people to pay the taxes to provide the subsidies, and not enough young drivers. Myriad of issues ahead for Japan as it ages.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Again a case of where the senile driver froze when he thought he was braking but had his foot on the

accelerator no doubt. To think my kids could be run over by these ticking murderers. An auto is a tool of destruction for the elderly. How many kids need will be mowed down by them just because they vote

and kids do not. The LDP is responsible for the deaths of hundreds due to weak enforcement of the senile elderly.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@Bugle Boy of Company B

Yoing drivers are more dangerous.

That's great. Feel free to point that out the next time JT puts out an article about s young driver causing an accident.

But it has absolutely zero to do with the fact that elderly drivers are a danger and something has to be done to prevent more accidents like this.

As others have pointed out, young drivers are bad because of inexperience. Inexperience can be fixed. Elderly driver's skills degrading with age cannot be.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Drove with a 77 year old the other day and his driving was impeccable!

No one is saying that all elderly drivers are bad, just that a system needs to be put in place to separate the good drivers from the bad.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Elderly should consider public transport . . . ?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I doubt it, the oldies here have most of the money. I know a few people who have tried to convince their parents to stop driving. Not very successfully it seems

Young and old drivers should pay higher insurance premiums like in other countries.

Doubling or tripling it will discourage old drivers.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

It's absolutely mental that people above 80 are even driving. This crash is not too far from where I live and when I'm driving the worse driving I have seen here is by the elderly and second by taxis who generally have older drivers.

Someone above mentioned the old people having the power to vote out the lawmakers and that's also scary too and most people here I speak to have no interest in politics including my own in laws and family.

These lawmakers themselves are approaching their 70/80s and these laws would effect their lives so no wonder they are introducing them.

On a side note a joke that is relevant.

"I want to die like my grandpa, in his sleep, not like his passengers screaming in the back"

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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