Japan to toughen driving tests for some over-75s

Japan will make driving tests harder for some motorists over 75 with traffic violations, as police try to reduce accidents caused by older drivers mistaking the accelerator for the brake.

The National Police Agency said Thursday it would take “necessary measures” after an expert panel recommended extra manoeuvres during practical tests for some drivers.

The new rules will apply to motorists over 75 with a history of traffic violations, the agency said. Local media reported that the changes would be introduced next year.

Affected drivers already have to take a mandatory skills test introduced in 2022. In addition to the five current components, including coming to a complete stop, they will have to pass a “direction change” component designed to check proper use of the accelerator and brake pedal.

The agency said fatal accidents caused by drivers over 75 are rising despite an overall decline in deadly traffic accidents. Drivers in that age group caused around 18% of fatal accidents last year, according to the agency.

National Police Agency figures show that drivers over 75 with previous traffic violations still cause more than twice as many accidents as peers with no such violations, even after passing the 2022 test.

Local media reported that an 85-year-old man driving a shuttle bus in Nagoya hit and killed a man and woman in their 30s in May. In 2019, an 87-year-old man killed a three-year-old girl and her mother and injured nine others after mistakenly pressing the accelerator instead of the brake.