"Drive Safely, Seniors"... Songpa District Holds Customized Traffic Safety Education

On June 18, Songpa District in Seoul announced that it held a "Traffic Safety Education for Senior Drivers" at the Songpa Senior Welfare Center on June 17, targeting 200 elderly residents within the district.

Seo Gangseok, Mayor of Songpa District, participating in a traffic safety campaign (right in the photo). Provided by Songpa District.

원본보기 아이콘

Last year, the number of driver’s license holders aged 65 and older in Songpa District reached 73,321, the highest among all autonomous districts in Seoul. Elderly drivers require special attention when driving, as aging slows reaction times, making it difficult to respond to unexpected situations.

To address this, the district is operating a "Voluntary Driver’s License Return" program, which provides a transportation card worth 200,000 won to residents aged 70 and above who voluntarily return their licenses. The return rate last year was 4.34%, which is not high. This is interpreted as being due to the fact that many elderly individuals still need to drive out of necessity, such as for their livelihoods.

This year, for the first time, the district planned a customized traffic safety education program for seniors, focusing on creating conditions for safe driving rather than restricting elderly drivers. The education was tailored to the physical and cognitive abilities of senior citizens and covered topics related to safe driving.

A traffic safety expert instructor from the Seoul branch of the Korea Road Traffic Authority provided easy-to-understand explanations on the characteristics of elderly drivers, the necessity of traffic safety education, safe driving and walking methods based on real-life accident cases involving seniors, and an understanding of traffic environments and vehicle characteristics.

The district expects that this education will help participants understand the types and causes of traffic accidents that frequently occur among elderly drivers and serve as an opportunity to objectively assess their own driving abilities.

Seo Gangseok, Mayor of Songpa District, stated, "Safe driving among elderly drivers is a critical issue directly linked to the safety of society as a whole," adding, "We will do our utmost to create a transportation environment where all residents can move safely in line with the era of super-aging society."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.