The Ministry of Transportation and Communications yesterday said it would lower the age for elderly drivers to renew their license from 75 to 70 as part of efforts to address safety issues caused by senior motorists.
The new policy was proposed in light of a deadly incident on Monday in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽), in which a 78-year-old motorist surnamed Yu (余) sped through a school zone, killing three people and injuring 12.
Last night, another driver sped down a street in Tainan’s Yuching District (玉井), killing one pedestrian and injuring two.
Photo: CNA
The incidents have sparked public discussion over whether seniors should be asked to stop driving after reaching a certain age.
Article 52-2 of the Road Traffic Security Rules (道路交通安全規則) stipulates that drivers aged 75 or older or those aged 75 who have contravened traffic regulations or have had their license suspended must renew their license every three years.
They are allowed to renew their license only after they pass a physical exam and driving test. Those who failed the tests would be required to turn in their license, and the government can revoke their license if they refuse to comply.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
“We are aware that the public is concerned about safety issues caused by elderly drivers, but official data show that drivers aged 18 to 24 are still the most likely to cause traffic accidents,” Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) told a news conference in Taipei.
The ministry recently unveiled three main changes to driver’s license tests, with one of them being assisting elderly motorists in driving safely.
As Taiwan would soon become a super-aged society, the number of drivers aged 70 or older could reach 2.72 million by 2035, up from 1.82 million this year, Chen said.
The ministry decided to adopt measures similar to those in Japan, which is already a super-aged society and has effectively tackled the problems of senior drivers, Chen said.
The ministry would propose that the age threshold for elderly drivers to renew their license be lowered to 70 from 75, and those with records of traffic contraventions must complete safe driving training on roads, he said.
Aside from passing cognitive tests and physical exams, elderly drivers must also participate in a hazard perception and road traffic safety education program, he said.
The Highway Bureau would continue to send care messages to drivers aged 65 or older who have accumulated three demerits or more for traffic contraventions, but it would in the future send care messages to those who frequently contravene traffic rules or have been directly responsible for causing traffic accidents, he said.
Elderly drivers who voluntarily return their drivers’ license would receive a subsidy when they purchase T-Pass, a program introduced by the Executive Yuan to encourage use of the public transport system, he said.
“We would work out details of these reforms in three months,” Chen said, adding that the new policies are scheduled to be implemented next year.
Ministry data show that the number of deadly traffic accidents caused by drivers 75 or older rose from 642 in 2020 to 740 last year, with the number of people killed jumping from 751 to 824.
The percentage of accidents caused by elderly drivers increased from 9.1 percent in 2016 to 10.2 percent in 2017, 11.1 percent in 2018, 11.6 percent in 2019, 12.3 percent in 2020, 13 percent in 2021, 13.2 percent in 2022, 13.9 percent in 2023 and 14.9 percent last year.
Last year, “zoning out, nervousness and absent-mindedness” were identified as the No. 1 cause of fatal accidents directly caused by elderly drivers, followed by improper driving behavior, running red lights and failure to yield to pedestrians.
As of last month, 44.2 percent of drivers aged 75 or older had renewed their license as required, while 23.3 percent had voluntarily returned their driver’s license.
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