Scooter traffic incidents have a higher fatality rate when elderly people are involved, a study showed.
Taiwan is to become a super-aged society next year, and as elderly people are becoming a higher proportion of road users, traffic safety education is becoming more important, researchers a in the Department of Public Health at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Tainan said.
Although there is a lower proportion of elderly people involved in traffic incidents, data showed that they have a higher death rate, NCKU Professor of Public Health Lee Chung-yi (李中一) said.
Photo: Taipei Times file
Data compiled by the research team showed that about 28,000 people aged 65 or older were injured in traffic incidents in 2011.
The number climbed to 73,000 last year, three times the amount in 2011, he said.
People aged 65 or older accounted for 13.6 percent of two-wheeled vehicle road accidents last year, but were 38.3 percent of the fatality rate, Lee said.
“Although elderly people are less likely to be in traffic incidents, when they are, it is more likely to be fatal. The government has regulations in place requiring people aged 75 and older to have a medical examination every three years when they renew their driver’s license,” he said.
The regulation requires that examinations be conducted at a hospital or a medical center, to check for dementia, cognitive decline and visual ability, and other tests to verify the person’s ability to drive a scooter.
“Although the regulation has been in place for many years, we still have no data on whether it has been effective in reducing traffic incidents among elderly people,” Lee said.
More resources are needed to help people who require mobility assistance, such as those recovering from stroke, spinal cord injuries and other major illnesses, NCKU Department of Occupational Therapy researcher Chen Yu-ting (陳郁婷) said.
“Although people recovering from these injuries — which affects elderly people in particular — have decreased mobility, they still need to go out to places to live their lives, and they often use vehicles,” Chen said.
The study found that 84 percent of elderly people in Tainan rely on a scooter as their main mode of transportation, and 80 percent of use a scooter three days or more in a week.
Chen said that 6 percent of the monitored subjects had a known decline in cognitive skills, 8 percent had balance problems, 24 percent had vision conditions leading to attention lapses and were unable to control or reduce their vehicle speed in time, and 24 percent admitted to not having a scooter license, or it was already expired.
The research team said that Taiwan must face up to issues associated with having a super-aged society, recommending that the government create education programs to train elderly people about road safety.
They said their research findings showed that through education, elderly people had a better comprehension of road safety, and greater awareness about potentially dangerous conditions and preventative measured required to keep safe on the road.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
BACK TO WINTER: A strong continental cold air mass would move south on Tuesday next week, bringing colder temperatures to northern and central Taiwan A tropical depression east of the Philippines could soon be upgraded to be the first tropical storm of this year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the next cold air mass is forecast to arrive on Monday next week. CWA forecaster Cheng Jie-ren (鄭傑仁) said the first tropical depression of this year is over waters east of the Philippines, about 1,867km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), and could strengthen into Tropical Storm Nokaen by early today. The system is moving slowly from northwest to north, and is expected to remain east of the Philippines with little chance of affecting Taiwan,
RSS