outlines the traffic safety measures to be implemented by the national and local governments in the five-year period from FY2001 to FY2005.

The Fundamental Traffic Safety Program specifies a variety of traffic safety improvement measures, to be comprehensively and systematically promoted in close cooperation with all relevant bodies and organizations. In this way, the program aims to reduce the ratio of casualties to the total number of registered motor vehicles as far as possible, and to reduce total annual fatalities (defined as deaths occurring within 24 hours of an accident) to below the 1979 level of 8,466 — the lowest on record since the introduction of the Traffic Safety Policies Law — by 2005.

In this report, we present an outline of some of the more important measures proposed in the Seventh Fundamental Traffic Safety Program.

## (1) Promotion of traffic safety measures for the elderly

Statistics on traffic accidents involving the elderly (over 65) reveal a very serious safety issue. In 1993, total annual fatalities of elderly people overtook total annual fatalities of young people (16-24) for the first time. Although elderly fatalities are levelling off since, their ratio in total fatalities on roads has been rising year by year. Furthermore, as the population of Japan continues to age over the coming years, there is widespread concern that the number of traffic accidents involving the elderly will continue rising.

In view of this, the Seventh Fundamental Traffic Safety Program calls for major improvements in traffic safety measures for the elderly. The program pushes for the promotion of participation-, experience- and practice-oriented traffic safety education for the elderly aimed to substantially raise the level of their traffic safety awareness; efforts to improve road traffic environments to allow the elderly to live in greater safety and tranquillity; and measures to ensure safe driving by the elderly.

## a) Promoting participation-, experience- and practice-oriented traffic safety education

The program calls for the active promotion of participation-, experience- and practice-oriented traffic safety education measures, in which the elderly can directly experience various types of road environments and typical hazardous traffic situations, and then practice dealing with such situations themselves. In addition, these activities should teach the elderly about the effectiveness of reflective materials at night. At the same time, the program calls for local communities to try and provide elderly people with personal guidance through home visits, and to advise them whenever they have the opportunity of contact in daily life.

Furthermore, the program proposes supporting the elderly to get involved in traffic safety activities as volunteers, by training them to serve as traffic safety instructors (“Silver Leaders”), and by encouraging them to take initiatives in traffic safety activities in their communities and their homes.

## b) Improving road traffic environments to help the elderly live with peace of mind

To help elderly and disabled people to lead their lives as independently as possible, the program calls for the promotion of the following steps, especially in areas around railway