22 Public, Private, and Academic Institutions Participate in 'Comprehensive Traffic Safety Plan for the Elderly' Announcement... Public Hearing Tomorrow

3 Major Tasks and 32 Detailed Tasks
Includes Conditional Driver's License Introduction and Expansion of Voluntary License Surrender

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The introduction of a ‘conditional driver's license’ for elderly drivers is being promoted, and the national subsidy support project will be expanded to encourage voluntary license surrender. Policies to ensure the safety of elderly pedestrians, such as the expansion of senior protection zones, will also be implemented.

The National Police Agency, the Committee on Population, Aging Society and Future, the National Assembly Traffic Safety Forum, and the General Insurance Association announced on the 23rd that they will hold an online public hearing at 10 a.m. on the 24th regarding the ‘Comprehensive Plan for Elderly Traffic Safety’ containing these measures.

This comprehensive plan was prepared based on the participation and cooperation of 22 public, private, and academic institutions of the ‘Elderly Driver Safety Measures Council’ launched in July last year. The goal is to reduce traffic accident deaths among those aged 65 and older by half or less by 2023, and it consists of three major tasks and 32 detailed tasks: ▲ elderly driver safety support ▲ securing pedestrian safety for elderly pedestrians ▲ and establishing a transportation welfare foundation for the elderly.

First, in the field of elderly driver safety support, 15 tasks are included such as the introduction of a conditional driver's license system and the development of driving suitability evaluation technology to establish detailed conditions for conditional licenses, elderly driver traffic safety education using online platforms and dementia relief centers, and improvement of traffic safety facilities such as securing visibility of road markings.

In the field of securing pedestrian safety for elderly pedestrians, nine tasks are included such as the expansion and facility improvement of senior protection zones and nationwide integrated management of ‘Silver Zones,’ strengthening management of areas with frequent elderly pedestrian traffic accidents, improving standards for walking speed of vulnerable pedestrians and expanding pedestrian islands, and introducing an automatic extension system for pedestrian signals.

Additionally, in the field of establishing a transportation welfare foundation, eight tasks are composed including guaranteeing mobility rights for the elderly through public taxis, low-floor buses, Hyundai Motor’s ‘Shucle Service’ (shared van service), as well as traffic safety education and public interest campaigns.

Park Jin-kyung, chairman of the Elderly Driver Safety Measures Council (Secretary-General of the Committee on Population, Aging Society and Future), emphasized, “This is the result of our collective efforts to proactively respond to the rapidly increasing risk of traffic accidents involving the elderly,” and added, “We will successfully implement safety measures for our seniors.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.