Japan Discovers Seniors Cognitive Tests Cuts Accidents But Causes Leads to More Injuries
According to a news report on walesonline.co.uk, a new study from Japan shows that requiring seniors to take cognitive tests prior to issuing driver's license renewals cuts down on accidents. However, the number of serious accident injuries among seniors has skyrocketed. In Japan, drivers over the age of 75 are required to take a cognitive test.
If a driver has signs of Alzheimer's or Dementia, they can have their license revoked. According to a new study, mandatory cognitive testing has led to a spike in accidents involving elderly cyclists and pedestrians. It is believed that the spike in senior pedestrian accidents is due to seniors finding other ways of traveling. The conclusion was reached after an analysis of police-reported accidents involving drivers over the age of 70.
The study's co-author, Dr. Haruhiko Inada, with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, stated that these statistics prove that more must be done to improve safety for senior cyclists and pedestrians. Dr. Inada believes that state and federal governments need to provide older citizens with safe, alternative transportation.
According to a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, traffic accidents fell among male drivers once mandated cognitive testing was implemented. But tragically, more cyclists and pedestrians were injured as mentally impaired seniors walked or used bikes since they could no longer drive motor vehicles. The report states that once the mandated cognitive testing began in Japan, there were about 3,500 fewer accidents among male drivers. However, there were nearly 1,000 more pedestrian and cyclist injuries of both sexes reported.
Japan has the largest aging population in the world, with about 20% of its total population aged 70 or older. Keeping motor vehicle accidents down as their population ages is a growing issue. One UK study discovered that 50% of drivers who were 60 years old or older support testing every five years after drivers reach age 70. Japan's law requires cognitive testing every three years, and drivers only need to fill out a medical declaration form. No one reviews the application to determine if the driver is capable of driving a vehicle.
In 2019, Japan had 41 fatal accidents caused by the driver erroneously pressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake. Of these accidents, 68% of the crashes were caused by drivers who were 75 years old or older. In 2018, the percentage of fatal traffic accidents caused by Japanese drivers 75 or older increased to 15%. The Japanese government report stated that seniors caused more than twice the number of fatal accidents caused by younger, inexperienced drivers.
Other countries, including Taiwan, Denmark, and Canada, are beginning to conduct cognitive testing at driver's license renewals.
Some safety experts feel that older drivers who have moderate to severe dementia need to stop driving and the government should provide affected seniors with alternative ways to travel. This way, everyone is safer on U.S. roadways.
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Sources:
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/mandatory-testing-older-drivers-cuts-26056586