On the 17th, an 89-year-old driver who was arrested in an accident in which a car went out of control in Osakasayama City, Osaka Prefecture, killed and injured three people. I found out by interviewing the police that I was doing it.



Police are investigating that the car has moved and upset due to the creep phenomenon peculiar to automatic cars.

After noon on the 17th, a car ran out of control near a supermarket in Onodai, Osakasayama City, and three people were hit one after another. Among them, Hiroyuki Okada (87), who lives nearby, died and two women were seriously injured. ..



Police arrested Takashi Yokoyama (89), who lived in the city while driving a car, on suspicion of negligent driving injuries.



According to the police, he explained to the investigation that "the car that was parked started to move and I accidentally stepped on the accelerator."



Police are investigating the situation in detail, assuming that the car moved and upset due to the creep phenomenon peculiar to automatic cars led to a series of runaways.

Mr. Okada who died About 2 months ago, the license was voluntarily returned

According to investigators, 87-year-old Hiroyuki Okada, who died in the accident, had just voluntarily returned his driver's license about two months before the accident.



I heard that Mr. Okada returned his driver's license to a couple in their 60s who lived nearby and said, "I was taking the initiative to return it because it wouldn't bother me."



In addition, Mr. Okada worked hard in the field work as a hobby almost every day, participated in volunteer activities and was loved by the surroundings, so the couple who worked in the field together was "a very gentle and gentle person. He also taught me how to make fields, and I just got vegetable seedlings a few days ago. I also volunteered to make toys for children to fly with rubber. Everyone in the neighborhood got along well. It's a shame because we helped each other. "

An elderly man who donated flowers "I'm scared because it seems like my own thing"

Bouquets and other items were being handed to the supermarket at the site.



An 89-year-old man who lived nearby with flowers on the afternoon of the 18th said he visited after seeing the news.



At the same age as the arrested driver, the man said, "I was surprised at the accident. I'm still in the car, but I felt like myself and I was really scared."

Elderly people who came to return "accident triggered"

On the 19th, one night after the accident, some elderly people visited the Suita Police Station in Osaka to voluntarily return their driver's license.



Of these, a 79-year-old woman said, "Yesterday's accident triggered a return. As I got older, I realized that everywhere in my body was delayed and I couldn't keep an eye on it even when I was driving. I live in a convenient location, so I thought I had to return my license. "



On top of that, "I think that the person who caused the accident yesterday has lived well until then. It may cause an unexpected accident that kills or hurt the other person. If I had a chance to be surprised, such as if the brakes were slow or if I stepped on the accelerator too much, I thought it was time to return it. "

Elderly driver "I feel uneasy, but a car is indispensable"

Following this accident, elderly drivers in areas where public transportation is scarce are saying that cars are indispensable for their daily lives, although they feel uneasy.



Yukio Fujii (72), who lives in Katsuragi Town along the mountain in the northern part of Wakayama Prefecture, drives a light truck every day for farming, shopping, and going to the hospital.



Mr. Fujii said, "I feel that the number of accidents for the elderly is increasing, but since there is no transportation, a car is indispensable to my life. I don't think I will have an accident, but as I get older, my judgment becomes dull. I'm worried because I think it will come. I want to drive safely and continue driving until my family and others stop me. "

Elderly training at a driving school

At a driving school in Neyagawa City, Osaka Prefecture, a training course for the elderly, which is obligatory for people over 70 years old when renewing their license, was held.



On the 18th, four participants gathered and got in a car with an instructor to check their driving skills.



In this, I tried the movement of intentionally climbing on a step and stopping, and confirmed whether it was possible to smoothly step on the pedal from the accelerator to the brake.



In the lectures that followed, it was explained that as people get older, their physical functions deteriorate, which often leads to accidents due to mistakes in judgment and operation.



A 74-year-old man who took the course said, "I need a car because I am self-employed. I have nothing to worry about when I drive today, but I think it is difficult to decide when to let go of my license." I was there.



Also, on the 18th, a cognitive function test, which is mandatory for people over 75 years old, is also conducted, and the 80-year-old woman who took the test said, "I use a car four or five days a week to shop and go to the hospital. I'm still not worried about my driving, but it's hard to see the road at night, so I want to drive carefully. "



Masahiro Hideyama, an instructor of the elderly training, said, "As you get older, your dynamic vision will decrease and your body movement speed will slow down, so slow down by that amount and try not to drive on unfamiliar roads or night roads. I want you to put it on. "

Demonstration experiment of ultra-compact car to secure transportation for elderly people

In Kimino Town, Wakayama Prefecture, where depopulation is progressing, until last month, a demonstration experiment of an "ultra-compact car" was underway to secure a means of transportation for the elderly.



This car, which is one size smaller than a light car, means that automatic braking works even when the accelerator is depressed.



As the accident of an elderly driver becomes a serious social problem, domestic cars sold as new cars will be required to be equipped with automatic brakes from this month.



There are regional differences in the voluntary return of driver's licenses, and the percentage of drivers aged 75 and over who returned their licenses in the last year was 3.64% in Wakayama prefecture, the lowest in Japan, and less than half of the highest in Tokyo. It has become.



Efforts are needed to prevent accidents while ensuring transportation for the elderly.

Estimated 30% penetration rate of "support car" for driving support

Five years ago, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism received a series of accidents by elderly people, such as a light truck driven by an 87-year-old driver in Yokohama City crashed into a line of elementary school students who were attending school and a 6-year-old boy died. We have promoted the spread of "safe driving support vehicles" that support driving, so-called "support cars".



The "Support Car" mainly has a


function to detect obstacles in front and automatically

apply the


brakes, and a

function

to detect mistakes in the accelerator and brake to prevent sudden start, and


was sold in Japan last year. Of the new cars, more than 90% have these functions.



On the other hand, the penetration rate of all passenger cars in Japan is estimated to be about 30%, and considering that the average replacement cycle of automobiles is about 12 years, it will take a certain period of time to spread it widely. Is believed to be.



According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the car that the 89-year-old driver was driving in the accident that occurred in Osakasayama City, Osaka Prefecture on the 17th was not a model equipped with the "support car" function at the time of shipment.



Regarding the function to detect a mistake in stepping and prevent sudden start, it is possible to retrofit the device, but it requires construction at a car dealer etc., and there is no record of retrofitting so far. ..

Accidents caused by a series of elderly drivers

Serious accidents such as accelerator and brake operation mistakes by elderly drivers have occurred frequently.



In April, a passenger car went out of control in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, and a young child and mother were hit and died.



The 87-year-old driver was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of fatal injury due to negligent driving.



Also, in July last year, a light car driven by a woman in her 80s rushed into the entrance of a supermarket in Kita-ku, Sapporo, and a shopper was hit and died. In November, she was in her 80s in Kabukicho, Tokyo. A car driven by a driver of Tokyo rushed into a ramen shop, injuring four people.



In both accidents, it is believed that the driver mistakenly stepped on the accelerator and brake.



According to the National Police Agency, there were 333 fatal accidents by elderly drivers over the age of 75 in the last year, and by cause, "operation mistakes" such as mistakes in braking and accelerator pedaling were the most common.

Skill check when renewing license New system from next year

According to the National Police Agency, the number of people who voluntarily returned their driver's licenses was 601,022 people nationwide, mainly for the elderly, an increase of more than 40% from the previous year, the highest number ever.



In April, a passenger car driven by a driver in his 80s went out of control in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, and the parents and children who were hit died. It is believed that the background is the increased number of recommendations.



Last year, 552,381 people returned their licenses, more than half of whom were over 75 years old.



On the other hand, there are many people who are reluctant to return their licenses, saying that it is inconvenient to shop without a car and that they are still confident that they can drive.



In areas where public transportation is scarce, many people cannot part with their cars to live, and creating an environment where elderly people can shop and go to the hospital without driving is also an issue.



The National Police Agency will amend the Road Traffic Act to require drivers aged 75 and over who have a history of violations such as ignoring traffic lights in the past three years to actually drive a car and check their skills when renewing their license from May next year. A new system will start.



In addition, a new license will be introduced to limit driving to "support cars" equipped with safety functions such as automatic braking.