Fatal accidents by aged drivers stay at high level in 2017

February 15, 2018

Tokyo- Fatal accidents in Japan caused by drivers aged 75 or older totaled 418 in 2017, down by 41 from the previous year, but still at a high level compared with accidents caused by younger drivers, the National Police Agency said Thursday.

The number of fatal accidents per 100,000 driver's license holders stood at 7.7 for those aged 75 or older, more than double the figure for those under 75, the agency said.

In March last year, the revised road traffic law with strengthened measures to prevent accidents by elderly drivers with dementia was put into force. But the NPA sees that the law's enforcement has yet to contribute to the reversal of the uptrend of fatal accidents by aged drivers, which accounted for 12.9 pct of the total, down only 0.6 percentage point.

Of the deadly accidents caused by elderly drivers, 168 were single vehicle events, such as crashes into utility poles or going off the street. These accidents accounted for 40.1 pct of the total, much higher than 22.9 pct for drivers under 75.

By cause, 130 accidents, or 31.1 percent, resulted from inappropriate driving maneuvers, including mis-steering.

Accidents caused by mistaking the accelerator for the brake totaled 26, or 6.2 percent, nearly eightfold the 0.8 pct for younger drivers.

In cognitive function tests on drivers aged 75 or older, mainly conducted when they renewed their licenses, 54,072 people, or 2.8 percent, showed signs of dementia last year, and 525,990 people, or 26.8 pct, were judged to be at risk of cognitive decline.

Of the elderly drivers who caused fatal accidents, excluding those who did not undergo the cognitive function tests, 28 people, or 7.2 percent, showed signs of dementia and 161 people, or 41.8 percent, were at risk of cognitive decline.

"Cognitive decline is suspected of playing a role in causing fatal accidents," an NPA official said.

The agency plans to continue encouraging elderly drivers to give up their licenses and promoting so-called safety support cars with automatic braking systems and other safety features.

The NPA also said 299 cyclists caused accidents in which a total of two pedestrians died and others suffered serious injuries last year. Of the total, 155 people, or 51.8 percent, were aged under 24.

In a separate case, police sent papers on a 20-year-old university student to public prosecutors on Thursday for allegedly killing a 77-year-old pedestrian while riding an electric motor-assisted bicycle in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, in December last year.

According to the Kanagawa prefectural police, the student crashed into the pedestrian when she was using a smartphone, wearing an earphone and holding a beverage cup at the same time. Jiji Press