TOKYO: Japan has begun conducting cognitive function tests for elderly people who wish to renew their driver's licences, in a bid to determine those at risk for dementia and to curb the rise of serious traffic accidents. In recent years, there has been a spike in the number of accidents caused by elderly drivers in Japan, which has one of the highest proportions of elderly people in the world. Overall, fatal traffic accidents in Japan totalled about 3,400 last year, down from about 6,100 in 2005. But those caused by drivers aged 75 or older have remained flat at more than 400 each year over the same period. Last year, a total of 459 fatal traffic accidents were caused by such aged drivers, accounting for around 10% of the total.

Source: Bangkok Post March 25, 2017 08:37 UTC