Analysis of Accidents by Older Drivers in Japan

Since Japan is a rapidly aging society, ensuring the safety of older drivers is a major issue in the future. This study analyzed the number of traffic accidents by age group, and investigated the characteristics of accidents involving older drivers. It was found, for example, that regardless of age, there were more rear-end and front-to-side collisions, although older drivers had fewer rear-end collisions than front-to-side collisions. The cause of this is conjectured to be that older drivers reduce their driving speed. Driver support systems that would be useful for older drivers are systems to provide obstacle information at spots with poor visibility. In addition, since many rear-end collisions also occur, inter-vehicle distance warning devices would also be useful for older drivers.