Gaia Series 62: Watch Your Driving – A New Era for Senior Drivers

As Japan’s elderly population grows, this episode examines the challenges older drivers face, highlighting innovative solutions, community initiatives, and the personal stories behind the statistics.

In this episode of Japan Hour, the focus shifts to Japan’s rapidly aging population and the increasing problems of older drivers on the roads. The episode begins with a dramatic car crash scene in Hokkaido’s Yakuma Town, illustrating the growing problem of traffic incidents involving the elderly. The narrator notes that as the proportion of senior citizens increases, the frequency of accidents also increases, with cases involving elderly drivers increasing from 67,661 in 2021 to 71,673 in 2023. senior citizens should lose their driver’s license.

Moving to Ebino City in Miyazaki, this episode reflects the reality facing the aging rural community, with 44 percent of the population over the age of 65. In such areas, driving is often a necessity rather than a choice, as public transportation options are limited. . A special class is opening at Ebino Kogen Driving School for drivers over the age of 70 who are renewing their licenses. The challenges these older students face are evident as they struggle to perform basic driving tasks, follow signs, and remember instructions. The participant, an 82-year-old farmer, repeatedly confuses left and right turns during the lesson and admits in frustration: “I think the test is wrong. You should explain all this clearly at the beginning and then we should be on our way.”

The episode underscores the personal risks for many older drivers. Among those attending the lecture is 81-year-old Masaru Iwasaki, who emphasized the importance of driving in his daily life: “If I don’t drive, I can’t take my wife to the hospital.” His wife, Emiko, is suffering from the side effects of a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and given the shortage of buses in the town, surrendering her driver’s license would severely restrict their mobility. “It will be as if I were dead,” Iwasaki says, echoing the feelings of many older people in rural areas who equate the ability to drive with their independence and quality of life.

To address the growing number of accidents, this episode showcases work being done at the Ebino Kogen Driving School, including an exercise class designed to help older drivers maintain their physical responsiveness. “People press the accelerator instead of the brake because they don’t have the speed to quickly switch between the two,” the instructor explains. These exercises aim to improve the responsiveness of the foot joint, a small but very important measure that will help prevent accidents.

The chapter then moves on to a broader solution; A new system developed to diagnose driving problems in real time. This section introduces Genext, a company founded in 2009 that specializes in accident evaluation. Genext is led by President Hajime Kasahara, who has personally investigated more than 500 traffic accidents. Kasahara’s studies began after his father, who was initially considered the perpetrator due to alleged negligence, was involved in an accident. By meticulously examining the dashcam footage, Kasahara was able to prove that the other car was speeding over 100 kilometers per hour, ultimately overturning the finding of negligence. This experience motivated Kasahara to develop technologies for more precise accident assessments.

Kasahara and Genext are currently conducting a pilot study in Yokohama City, where crashes involving older drivers have increased significantly (from 7.7 percent in 2003 to 22.1 percent in 2023). The study included older drivers between the ages of 66 and 71. They use an app called AI-Contact to track driving habits over a 90-day period. The app generates a driving skills score for each participant by tracking factors such as speed compliance and stopping at intersections.

One of the participants, 71-year-old Tatsuhiko Koda, shares his perspective: “After I turned 70, I realized the need to drive safer.” Koda, who used to work for an insurance company, is confident in his abilities but welcomes the chance for objective evaluation. During the trial, Koda received an impressive score of 98.46 percent; This suggests that he remains a competent driver despite concerns about his declining eyesight. He says: “I started paying more attention to the speed limits. Until now I was just relying on my instincts… But now I try to stick to the rules and watch my speed.”

Another participant, Toshimi Usami, 66, frequently takes her grandchildren to and from kindergarten. Usami, whose son Maki encouraged him to take part in the study, hopes the data will give his family peace of mind. But its results reveal shortcomings, especially when it comes to stopping at intersections, with a compliance rate of only 50 percent. “I’m careful to stay in these places in my mind. I’m not careful enough,” Usami admits. After the hearing, he takes the consequences seriously and makes a conscious effort to count to three at stop signs to make sure he’s stopping properly.

The episode also covers a community-focused solution in Hiroshima’s Miyoshi City, where automaker Mazda is trying to solve transportation challenges in rural areas where public transportation is limited. More than half of the population in this area is elderly and local bus services are infrequent. Mazda launched the Mutual Transportation Assistance program, a volunteer-driven initiative in which residents who can drive provide free vehicles to those who cannot. Mazda’s Shinichiro Yoshida speaks to the importance of the project: “I want to improve people’s lives and their ability to get around… But we can’t do this just through technology. By working with the whole team to make this happen, you are important.”

But the initiative faces challenges as volunteer drivers age and many express concerns about their ability to continue driving safely. “Your eyesight starts to fade. And you never know what can happen,” says volunteer driver Chihiro Kodama, 67. In response, Mazda is developing a driving impairment detection system that uses cameras to monitor eye movements and other indicators of cognitive function. This technology, developed in collaboration with Hiroshima University, aims to provide early warning against deterioration in driving skills to improve road safety for older drivers.

The episode paints a vivid picture of the challenges and solutions surrounding older drivers in Japan. As the country’s population continues to age, initiatives like Genext’s diagnostic tools and Mazda’s public transportation system are important steps towards ensuring senior citizens can maintain their independence while keeping the roads safe.