Discounts, Perks Lure Elderly Off the Roads

The Yomiuri Shimbun

September 6, 2008

Japan

Enticed by shopping perks and discounted meals and public transport, elderly people are voluntarily surrendering their driving licenses in increasing numbers.

 
In an effort to reduce road accidents caused by older drivers, municipalities in 25 prefectures introduced privileges for senior citizens waiving their right to drive as of the end of August. 

In the Tokyo metropolitan area, more than 2,500 people gave up their licenses between April and July, after they became eligible to receive discounts in places such as department stores and hotels at the start of the fiscal year. The figure is a near eightfold jump on the same period last year. 

Drivers aged 65 or over were recognized as the cause of 102,961 traffic accidents last year--up 3,108 on the previous year and more than twice that of the 1997 figure. Of these accidents, 930 were fatal. 

As of the end of last year, the number of licensed drivers nationwide aged 65 or over stood at 11,071,097--14 percent of the total. The figure is forecast to rise to 17.48 million in 2017. 

The National Police Agency launched a system in 2002 to issue "driving history certificate" cards to people who surrender driving licenses. The cards resemble driving licenses and can be used as identification. 

The issuance of such cards led to five consecutive years in which the number of elderly people relinquishing licenses increased. Last year, however, the figure fell for the first time to 18,149 people--3,225 down on the previous year. 

One cause of the slowdown is thought to be a law that went into effect in January 2003. Under the Law on Customer Identification and Retention of Records, people became unable to use "driving history certificate" cards, for which there is no system of renewal, as identification at financial institutions. 

This has led police headquarters nationwide to begin encouraging elderly people to surrender licenses through collaborations with private businesses and municipal governments that support their aims. In Tokyo, the Metropolitan Police Department has joined up with 1,583 stores to offer discounts to senior citizens relinquishing their licenses. 

For example, well-known department stores such as Isetan, Mitsukoshi and Takashimaya are offering a free home delivery service to elderly people who present their "driving history certificate" cards when making a purchase. The Imperial Hotel offers a 10 percent discount to such former drivers dining in one of its directly owned restaurants. 

Since the start of the month, the Shinagawa Ward government has been offering gift certificates worth 5,000 yen to use in outlets in shopping districts and other locations in the ward. The Shibuya Ward government has been issuing 6,000 yen books of coupons for use on community buses within the ward. 

As a result of such measures, the number of people in Tokyo surrendering their driving licenses between April and July jumped from 331 in the same period last year to 2,557--a figure that exceeds the 1,294 total for the whole of last year.  

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