Many local governments across South Korea are expanding benefits for elderly people who give up their driver’s licenses, as the number of car accidents involving elderly drivers is increasing nationwide.
According to The Korea Herald, since early February, the Jisan-gun district government in Busan announced that they have implemented a policy of giving out vouchers worth 100,000 won (equivalent to about $75) for use at traditional markets to anyone aged 65 and older who gives up their driver’s license. This district became the first district to provide welfare benefits for elderly people who give up their driver’s licenses.
Similarly, the city of Miryang in South Gyeongsang Province has also given out gift vouchers worth 100,000 won to drivers aged 70 and above who accept to give up their driver’s licenses. However, the local government has decided to increase the value of the gift vouchers to 200,000 won by 2024.
Paju in Gyeonggi Province and Hoengseong-gun in Gangwon Province have also enhanced their incentive policies, giving out gift vouchers worth 300,000 won instead of the previous 100,000 won.
South Korea is trying to encourage more elderly people to give up their driver’s licenses as the number of traffic accidents involving senior citizens is increasing.
The Road Traffic Authority in October 2023 said that traffic accidents involving drivers aged 65 and older are increasing annually, from 31,072 cases in 2020 to 34,652 cases in 2022.
This is in contrast to the overall decrease in traffic accidents, from 209,654 in 2020 to 196,836 in 2022.
To address this issue, the South Korean government announced in 2023 a plan to implement conditional driver’s licenses for drivers aged 65 and older, which will include restrictions such as driving on highways, driving at night, installing additional safety features in cars, and prohibiting elderly drivers from exceeding a certain speed limit.
The National Police Agency (NPA) is conducting a related study on these policies in 2024 and aims to implement the restrictions by 2025.
Despite the government’s advice for elderly drivers to stop driving, there are still many who do not give up their driver’s licenses.
NPA data shows that out of 4.38 million people aged 65 and above who were issued driver’s licenses in 2022, only 2.6% decided to give up their licenses.
A survey in 2023 by the Road Traffic Authority of drivers in that age group found that only 31.7% of them were considering giving up their licenses. In a February survey by the auto insurance company Axa Direct, of 1,400 Korean drivers, only 22.9% said they were willing to give up their licenses when they turn 65.
TT (Tuoitrethudo)
Reference: THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
