In Japan, police, shops reward elderly who quit driving
OSAKA, Japan — A shopping street in Osaka has begun providing discounts to elderly drivers who voluntarily turn in their driver's licenses, while a local police station last month held a “graduation ceremony” for seniors who have given up driving.
These moves were aimed at stemming the increasing number of traffic accidents involving elderly people, particularly accidents associated with their declining attentiveness and reflexes.
About 40 stores of the Senbayashi shopping street and other places in Asahi Ward began providing discounts this summer to people aged 65 and older who turned in their driver's licenses. At barber shops and restaurants, people can get discounts of 3 percent to 10 percent off goods or services when they present a certificate of their driving history, which is given to them when they return their driver's licenses.
The program was launched by the association of shopping streets in the ward at the Asahi Police Station's suggestion. The association asked its member stores to join the program.
“I hope the program will help ensure the safety of elderly people who shop at shopping streets,” said Keizo Yasuda, 70, the association's chairman.
Meanwhile, at a ceremony on September 5, the police station presented a “certificate of graduation from driving” to 10 people aged 67-83 who returned their driver's licenses.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Takehiro Komaki, head of the police station, told the participants, “I thank you for your cooperation to improving traffic safety.”
Takayuki Hirohata, 76, a self-employed person who was honored at the ward's ceremony, said: “We tend to assume our driving skills haven't declined. But I'll quit driving for my beloved family.”
According to the Osaka prefectural police's driver's license department, an increasing number of shops and other businesses have begun providing such services to elderly people who return their driver's licenses.
In Osaka Prefecture, 10,772 elderly people returned their driver's licenses last year, 11 times the number who returned their licenses in 2011, when the police began collecting such data.
In Shizuoka, Japan, the Shizuoka Minami Police Station has opened a counseling office to encourage drivers aged 65 and older to return their driver's license to reduce number of traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers.
The office, the first of its kind in the prefecture, accepts consultations from elderly drivers who are concerned about their own driving and their family members and advises them to return their driver's license.
As of September 10, there were 1,404 accidents this year in the area covered by the police station, down 71 from the same period last year. However, 229 of them were caused by elderly drivers aged 65 and older, an increase of 26. Because of this, the police station decided to open the office.
The office is manned by three traffic patrol officers.
The service began on September 5 and within six days, 11 people aged at 66 to 90 returned their driver's licenses. There were 40 as of Sept. 28, according to the police station.
People will be given a certificate of their driving history when they return their driver's licenses. By showing the certificate, they can receive some benefits, such as a 10 percent discount off taxi fares.