Revised traffic law takes effect with new test for senior drivers

Monday 01st June, 07:27 AM JST

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11 Comments

kaminarioyaji at 08:26 AM JST - 1st June

"Drivers found with below-standard memory and judgment capacities...

...violating specific traffic regulations such as running red lights"

Both of the above are problems with Japanese "drivers" of all ages

Whilst here, when will all countries learn that the only safe limit for drink/driving is 0.00mg? 0.25mg is going to have very different effects when comparing a 155cm, 45kg Office lady who has wine with her salad, and a 180cm, 95kg salaryman who has just consumed ramen, rice and gyoza washed down with beer...
wibble at 09:37 AM JST - 1st June

Breath alcohol should be linked to blood alcohol, since it gets to the lungs via the blood stream. The relative % should be representative. The blood alcohol is an absolute in terms of the expected effect on cognitive imparement.

Body weight should not be a factor in such a test, since anything that reduced blood alcohol would also affect breath alcohol, unless you still have a mouthful of drink of course!
tasha77 at 09:44 AM JST - 1st June

Is there a test that the people doing the testing can take while we watch.....and will they have to drive around like elephants holding trunks to tails like they do over here (all the beginners following each other on the roads.....a sight to behold when you are in a hurry)
LFRAgain at 10:08 AM JST - 1st June

Running red lights, failure to signal properly, stopping suddenly in the middle of the street for no apparent reason to the driver behind who is forced to slam on his or her brakes (only to find out the asshat in the stopped car decided to take a cell phone call right then and there): These are all things that the general driving populace is guilty of on a regular basis> Meanwhile, I don't think I've seen the elderly commit the same offenses with even a fraction of the frequency that young, able-bodied drivers do. If elderly drivers are guilty of anything, it's for driving painfully, maddenly, insufferably slooooooow. And I'll take that over the other a-holes any day of the week.

This new law is a good common-sense step towards protecting society and seniors, but if Japan really wants to make its streets safer, I recommend it start with cracking down on the utter scam that are driving schools in this country. They don't teach people how to drive safely or responsibly. They only teach them how to pass the driving test. After that, all bets are off and 300,000円 has sadly been flushed down the toilet.
realist at 01:42 PM JST - 1st June

A test to "measure their memory and judgement?" Heck - I would like to give that test to some of my university students! I bet they would fail it. This is yet another piece of discriminatory legislation in this land of discrimination.
elbudamexicano at 02:25 PM JST - 1st June

Most Japanese (Asian) drivers are well, bad, and the closer you get to OSAKA, the dumber, the more dangerous they get. I live in Tokyo, plenty of idiots here too, but I would never ever drive into Osaka, just too foolish and dangerous there, not worth it, nope, no siree!
Yelnats at 06:05 PM JST - 1st June

The symbol for the stop sign in this country means ...hey look at this piece of art, step on the gas and go like heck!
mmwk2008 at 11:48 PM JST - 1st June

It makes sense however to judge a persons capability to drive a car by their ability. Equally, it should also be that available transport is cheaper/free to persons judged as not capable for transporting themselves.
Monoflow at 03:09 AM JST - 2nd June

Good... now they should revise traffic law for under 20 year old... and for god's sake change the japanese driving test, it's just nonsense and has nothing to do with real (street) life...
sharky1 at 05:04 AM JST - 2nd June

What would the memory part be for??? To make sure they remember how to get home? To find out if they can remember where they are going? To make sure they don't speed by trying to get somewhere before they forget where they are going? The problems with tests such as these is that they often involve measuring unintended data such as the elderly exceeding time limits, not because of memory issues, but because of motor skill issues.
elbudamexicano at 11:37 PM JST - 2nd June

Old J drivers who cause horrible accidents should be canned in public! Just like they do back in Singapore.