# Topics IV. Police Initiatives to Secure the Traffic Safety of Elderly People

The police work with related organizations and groups to promote relevant traffic safety measures in line with the characteristics of the elderly.

With roughly half of the people killed in traffic accidents in 2009 being 65 years old or above, preventing traffic accidents of the elderly has become an important issue.

The police implement relevant measures in educating the elderly on traffic safety in consideration of the fact that more than 80% of the elderly who die while walking or riding a bicycle do not have a driver's license. While 40% of the people who die while driving are the elderly, cars are a vital mode of transportation in daily life so support measures are enhanced by the police so that the elderly can continue to drive safely.

## (1) Measures to Prevent Accidents of Elderly Pedestrians and Bike Riders

The police implement traffic safety education based on participation, experience, and practical training so that the elderly can understand how their physical changes impact their traffic behaviors and learn how to walk or ride bikes on the road in a safe manner. Specifically, we try to work with related organizations and groups to give trainings to the elderly people who have not been able to receive education on traffic safety due to such reasons as not possessing a driver's license. Training is provided through measures such as individual training based on home visits or by providing advisory sessions through daily interactions with the elderly.

We also work with related organizations and groups to promote the usage of reflectors that are effective in preventing traffic accidents at night by giving traffic safety education through experiments on the visual recognition effects of reflectors.

## (2) Implementation of Elderly Driver Courses and Preliminary Examination (Cognitive Impairment Screening Test)

## 1 ) Implementation of Elderly Driver Training

Elderly driver courses are mandatory on the day of license renewal for drivers who are 70 years old or above on the expiration date of the current driver's license. The course includes lectures on information required for driving safely and various tests on driving techniques and drivers' dynamic vision so that the elderly can understand their own physical changes and receive appropriate advice and guidance based on the results. In 2009, 1,833,855 people took advantage of the training.

## 2 ) Introduction of Preliminary Examination (Cognitive Impairment Screening Test)

Since June 2009, drivers who are 75 years old or above on the expiration date of the driver’s license have been required to take the preliminary examination (i.e. cognitive impairment screening test) within six months before the expiration date of the current license. This examination was introduced to let elderly drivers understand their memory retention and judgment capabilities and to assist them to drive safely.

This test takes about 30 minutes on three test items including time awareness $ ^{1} $ , reaching answers based on clues $ ^{2} $ , and drawing clock hands $ ^{3} $ . Test results on memory retention and judgment capabilities are provided to the elderly driver. The results are classified into Classification 1 (deterioration of memory and judgment capabilities), Classification 2 (lower memory retention and judgment capabilities), and Classification 3 (no issues with memory retention and judgment capabilities). Elderly driver courses are conducted based on this classification.

If test results show that memory retention and judgment capabilities are deteriorating, and specific traffic violations including ignoring traffic lights are recorded within one year before the renewal of the driver’s license, drivers are required to be diagnosed by doctors specializing in dementia as a provisional classification test. If they are diagnosed of dementia, their driver’s license is either cancelled or suspended.

Note 1: On the day of the test, examinees are asked to give the date, day of the week, and time.

2: Examinees are asked to memorize certain illustrations followed by an exercise unrelated to the test. Then, they are asked to give the names of the appropriate illustrations first without hints, and with hints the second time.

3: Examinees are first asked to draw a clock with the following followed by instructions to draw clock hands on the clock to show a specific time.