Gaia Series 62: Watch your driving – a new era for older drivers

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

This episode of Japan Hour focuses on Japan’s rapidly aging society and the growing challenges older drivers pose on the road. Set in the city of Yakuma, Hokkaido, the episode begins with a stark car crash scene, illustrating the growing problem of road accidents involving the elderly. The narrator notes that as the proportion of older citizens increases, so does the frequency of accidents – 71,673 accidents involving older drivers were recorded in 2023 – up from 67,661 in 2021. This situation has become a serious social problem, prompting nationwide discussion on whether seniors should lose their driving license.

The episode moves to the town of Ebino in Miyazaki and captures the reality of an aging rural community where 44 percent of the population is over 65 years old. In such areas, driving is often not a choice but a necessity, as public transport options are limited. At the Ebino Kogen Driving School, special classes are underway for drivers over 70 years of age renewing their driving license. The challenges facing these older students become apparent as they perform basic driving tasks, have difficulty following signs and remembering directions. One participant, an 82-year-old farmer, repeatedly confuses left and right turns during the lesson, admitting with frustration: “I think the test is wrong. You should explain everything clearly at the beginning and then go.”

This episode highlighted the personal risks that many older drivers face. Among the class participants is 81-year-old Masaru Iwasaki, who emphasizes the importance of driving in his daily life: “If I don’t drive, I won’t be able to take my wife to the hospital.” His wife, Emiko, is suffering from the after-effects of a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and given the few buses in the city, giving up her driving license would severely limit their mobility. “I’ll be almost dead,” Iwasaki notes, echoing the sentiment of many older adults in rural areas who equate the ability to drive with independence and quality of life.

To address the rising number of accidents, the episode highlighted efforts at Ebino Kogen Driving School, including exercise classes aimed at helping older drivers stay physically fit. The instructor explains: “People press the accelerator instead of the brake because they lack the speed to switch between them quickly.” These exercises are designed to improve the reactivity of the foot joints, which is a small but crucial measure to help prevent accidents.

The episode then moves on to a broader solution – a new system designed to diagnose driving problems in real time. The episode features Genext, an accident assessment company founded in 2009. Genext is led by President Hajime Kasahara, who has personally investigated over 500 road accidents. Kasahara’s work began after his father was involved in an accident that was initially deemed to be his fault due to alleged negligence. After carefully examining the dash cam footage, Kasahara was able to prove that the other car was traveling at over 60 miles per hour, ultimately overturning the negligence finding. This experience motivated Kasahara to develop technologies that enable more precise accident assessment.

Kasahara and Genext are currently conducting a pilot study in Yokohama, a region where the number of accidents involving older drivers has increased significantly, from 7.7% in 2003 to 22.1% in 2023. The study involved older drivers aged from 66 to 71 years old, use the AI-Contact application to monitor driving habits for a period of 90 days. The app tracks factors such as speeding and stops at intersections, generating a driving skills score for each participant.

One participant, 71-year-old Tatsuhiko Koda, shares his perspective: “After turning 70, I realized that I need to drive safer.” Koda, who used to work for an insurance company, is confident in his abilities but welcomes the chance to be objectively assessed. During the test, Koda achieved an impressive 98.46%, showing that despite concerns about impaired vision, he remains a capable driver. He admits: “I started paying more attention to speed limits. Until now, I just relied on my instincts… But now I try to follow the regulations and carefully monitor my speed.”

Another participant, 66-year-old Toshimi Usami, often drives her grandchildren to and from kindergarten. Encouraged by her son Maki to participate in the study, Usami hopes the data will provide her family with peace of mind. However, its results reveal shortcomings – particularly in the area of ​​stopping at intersections, with a compliance rate of only 50%. “In my mind I stop at these places. I’m not careful enough,” Usami admits. After the trial, he takes the results to heart and consciously tries to count to three at stop signs to make sure he stops properly.

The episode also explores a community-centered solution in the city of Miyoshi, Hiroshima, where automaker Mazda is working to solve transportation problems in rural areas with limited public transportation. In this region, more than half of the population is elderly and local bus connections are poorly developed. Mazda has launched the Transportation Peer Assistance Program, a volunteer initiative in which residents who can drive provide free rides to those who cannot. Mazda’s Shinichiro Yoshida notes the importance of the project: “I want to improve people’s lives and improve their ability to move… But we can’t do it with technology alone. To achieve this, you must cooperate with everyone you matter.”

There are challenges with this initiative, however, as volunteer drivers themselves are aging and many express concerns about their ability to continue driving safely. “Your eyesight is starting to deteriorate. And you never know what might happen,” says 67-year-old volunteer driver Chihiro Kodama. In response, Mazda is developing a driving abnormality detection system that uses cameras to monitor eye movements and other indicators of cognitive function. Developed in collaboration with the University of Hiroshima, the technology aims to provide early warning of impaired driving skills to improve road safety for older drivers.

This episode paints a vivid picture of the challenges and solutions facing older drivers in Japan. As the country’s population continues to age, initiatives such as Genext diagnostic tools and Mazda’s public transportation system are important steps toward ensuring older citizens can remain independent while ensuring road safety.