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Yokohama, Japan, a van driven by an elderly driver in his 70s crashed into a bus stop, killing two people. In Japan, traffic accidents caused by older drivers are becoming a bigger and bigger problem.
Correspondent Yoo Seong-jae reports.
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Yesterday (25th) afternoon, a van running on a national highway in Yokohama, Japan crashed into a bus stop, killing two women while waiting for the bus.
The van that caused the accident came up from here on the sidewalk, rushed about 30m, and stopped only after hitting a power pole behind the bus stop.
Local police are investigating the cause of the accident against a 71-year-old van driver, but for now, the focus is on negligent driving.
A car suddenly rushes into a supermarket, crashes into a vending machine, backs up at a furious speed, then moves forward and crashes into the side of the building.
An 87-year-old man died and two women were seriously injured in the accident that took place in Osaka on the 17th.
[Witness: It was a great speed. The accelerator pedal was probably fully depressed.] The
89-year-old male driver who caused the accident said he had confused the accelerator pedal with the brake.
In Japan, there are 5.9 million people over the age of 75 with driver's licenses.
Following the compulsory cognitive test for older drivers when renewing their driver's license, the Japanese government has decided to add a driving skill test from next year if there is a violation within three years.
Although public relations are being strengthened to encourage seniors to voluntarily return their licenses, the number of returns is less than 400,000 a year.
In addition, there are voices that say that the mobility of the elderly is limited in regions where public transportation is scarce, and the concerns of the authorities are deepening.
(Video coverage: Cheol-Min Han and Hyun-Jin Moon, Video editing: Moo-Hwan Cho)