Elderly Cargo Drivers Sigh Over Consideration of Conditional Licensing System

Kang (67), a freight truck driver who has been working in the transportation industry for 20 years, spends 25 days a month on the road. Kang transports construction materials and soil from Samcheok, Gangwon-do to various parts of the country. For Kang, the introduction of a conditional license is a chilling piece of news. He fears he might lose his job. Kang sighed, saying, "The thought of having to give up the steering wheel if I get sick makes me feel hopeless."

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As the government and police announced that they would consider a conditional license system for high-risk drivers to reduce traffic accidents, concerns have been growing mainly within the transportation industry. The government plans to consider issuing licenses regardless of age, taking diseases and other factors into account, but elderly freight truck drivers worry about their livelihoods.

A conditional license is a system that allows limited driving privileges only to those who find everyday driving difficult. Initially, the government announced plans to introduce it targeting elderly drivers but withdrew the plan following criticism that it excessively infringed on mobility rights.

However, despite the government’s stance, drivers’ dissatisfaction continues. They argue that older drivers are more likely to be classified as high-risk drivers due to a higher incidence of diseases compared to younger drivers. Seong (72), a freight truck driver living in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, said, "Of course, older drivers have lower physical abilities than younger ones. I understand the intention to reduce traffic accidents, but since my livelihood depends on it, I am worried about being classified as a high-risk driver."

The specific scope of permitted driving has not yet been decided. However, based on overseas cases, bans on nighttime and highway driving and speed limits are reportedly being considered. If such standards are applied, transportation workers classified as high-risk drivers will inevitably face significant disruptions in their work. Hong (68), who has been driving freight trucks for 40 years, lamented, "Unlike regular office workers, we often drive on highways from dawn until night. If nighttime and highway driving are prohibited, we will practically have to quit our jobs."

The police stated that concerns like these should be approached from the perspective of guaranteeing mobility rather than restricting it under the conditional license system. A police official emphasized, "It is true that elderly drivers may be classified as high-risk drivers more frequently than younger drivers. However, the conditional license is a system that guarantees minimum mobility rights to drivers whose licenses should be revoked due to decreased physical ability."

Experts advise that to minimize the shock caused by the introduction of the system, it is necessary to actively gather opinions from high-risk drivers to reduce resistance. Jang Hyoseok, a senior researcher at the Samsung Transportation Safety Culture Research Institute, explained, "In some countries overseas, if a primary care physician reports to authorities after consulting with the driver, the government restricts driving hours considering the individual's work schedule. Rather than applying the system uniformly, driving privileges should be adjusted based on each driver's circumstances."

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