The accident on July 1 is one of Seoul’s worst traffic accidents in recent history. - Photo: Reuters
SEOUL: A deadly accident on Monday (July 1) night which saw a car crashing into pedestrians at a busy central Seoul intersection has reignited a debate about the elderly driving in South Korea.
A 68-year-old driver apparently lost control of his car and drove in the wrong direction for nearly 200m, subsequently hitting other vehicles before mounting the pavement and ramming into pedestrians waiting to cross the road.
The accident left nine dead and four injured, and is one of Seoul’s worst traffic accidents in recent history
Back in May, the Seoul authorities proposed a conditional driver’s licence that would restrict highway access and night-time driving for those aged 65 and above, depending on their driving capabilities.
The proposal was mooted as road accidents involving drivers aged 65 and older have been increasing annually since 2020, hitting a record high of 39,614 cases in 2023, up from 31,072 in 2020, an increase of 27.5 per cent.
At that time, strong backlash about age discrimination forced the authorities to clarify that the policy was not targeting “senior drivers” of any particular age group, but that it was aimed at “high-risk drivers” deemed to pose a greater traffic hazard due to a decline in their cognitive and physical conditions.
The authorities then pledged to do a thorough public survey before deciding whether to proceed with the plan in 2025.
With South Korea’s rapidly ageing population, the number of senior drivers is projected to increase from the current 4.74 million to 7.25 million by 2030.
Following the July 1 accident, netizens are once again locked in debate over the issue.
Some called for detailed medical examinations for drivers over a certain age to determine their driving capabilities, while others said there was a need to tighten licence revalidation guidelines for senior drivers.
Under current South Korean guidelines, drivers over 75 years of age undergo a three-year driver’s licence renewal cycle, and are required to pass cognitive ability tests and traffic safety education at the time of renewal.
Drivers over 65 years of age are also encouraged to receive traffic safety education.
Cash incentives worth 100,000 won (S$98) to 300,000 won are dangled as a carrot to encourage elderly drivers to voluntarily return their licences.
However, the scheme is not popular, with only around 2 per cent of drivers doing so each year.
In Singapore, all motorists aged 65 years and above must pass a medical examination and be certified fit-to-drive by a Singapore-registered medical practitioner before they can revalidate their Singapore driving licence.
The revalidation cycle is every three years with no maximum age limit.
Office worker Sung Hye-jin, whose company is located in the Seoul City Hall area, was shocked at the news of the accident, telling The Straits Times that it made her even more adamant that there should be more stringent guidelines for senior drivers.
The 36-year-old is worried about her 73-year-old father, whose daily commute involves a 40-minute highway drive.
She said he has a tendency to tailgate and is overly reliant on his vehicle’s autopilot system.
“Korea is a rapidly ageing country. We have to be careful with those whose driving abilities are compromised with age. Apart from his personal safety, I also don’t want anyone else to get hurt,” she said.
In contrast, others insist that with medical advancement, seniors are getting healthier and that age is just a number.
They questioned whether a person aged 68 is considered elderly and helpless, pointing out that Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is 75 this year, was the oldest person in Korean history to be appointed prime minister when he was 72 in 2022.
Netizen Baek Yong-dam said that while it is true that reflexes may be dulled from age, it was unfair to accuse elderly drivers of bad driving, and suggested imposing mandatory detailed medical examinations on drivers above a certain age.
Law professor Lee Jae-min from Seoul National University told ST that the age of 65 is traditionally symbolic in the Korean context.
“For the longest time, it has been the age for one to be considered a senior, for one to ride the subway for free and be eligible for pension.
"But these days, given the better health conditions of seniors, there is an ongoing debate on whether to keep 65 as a dividing line or to move it up to 70 or even 75.”
Noting that investigations into the accident are still under way, Prof Lee said if the age of the driver was indeed determined to be one of the causal factors, it would likely expedite progress on the provision of conditional driving licences for drivers of a certain age.
“Korea will then have to decide how to put conditions on senior driving and also decide on the defining age for that.”
Bong Hwa-ja, 80, who works as a dishwasher at an eatery in the City Hall area, stopped by the accident site on her way to work the day after the crash.
Shaking her head at the tragedy, she told ST: “This area is very popular with office workers during lunchtime and dinner time.
"Rather than finger-pointing, just think of how fortunate it is that the car did not smash into the eateries. If it did, there would be even more casualties.” - The Straits Times/ANN
