By 2020 Japan will be the most elderly society in the world, with one in every four Japanese a senior citizen. Its rate of aging is also the fastest. New measures to cope with the aging society will be required and this article looks at traffic safety measures for the elderly. First, traffic accident statistics are analysed by age and mode of transport - automobile, moped, bicycle, pedestrian and motorcycle. Causes of accidents are considered from the viewpoint of traffic violations committed by drivers and it can be seen that, while "speeding" is the most common cause of accidents in the younger age groups, violations commited commited by senior citizen driver are "failure to stops", "improper manoeuvring", "right-of-way" (failure to give way) and "safety precautions". Although elderly drivers believe in safe driving they fail to see stop signals and do not pay sufficient attention to their surroundings to ensure safety. Attitude surveys show that senior citizens value safety and show a subconscious tendency to compensate for the deterioration of their mental and physical capabilities through careful driving. The article concludes that education, for all road users, is required with regard to the behavioural and psychological characteristics unique to the elderly.
Abstract