‘Ageism’ rears its ugly head following series of car crashes by elderly drivers

Memorial items left by citizens are piled up at the scene of a deadly car crash near Seoul City Hall Station on July 8. Reporter Sung Dong-hoon

Kim Seung-mok (69, pseudonym), who has been driving a taxi in Seoul for more than a decade, was recently told by his daughter, “My friends say they feel uneasy when they see an older person driving a taxi.” She followed up with, “I’m upset. Dad, when are you going to retire?” she asked. Kim met with a reporter on July 8 and said, “There was a lot of talk on the radio all weekend about elderly driving,” sighing, “I was worried that if I caused a car accident, I would be blamed for it.”

As it was revealed that the driver, identified only by his surname Cha, was 68 years old in a deadly car crash near Seoul City Hall Station that caused 16 casualties on the 1st, ugly words about elderly drivers are coming out. Concerns are raised as social awareness of the dangers of elderly driving is increasing, with some even treating elderly drivers as if they were “future perpetrators.”

Coincidentally, a week after the car crash, a series of traffic accidents caused by drivers aged 65 and older occurred and were reported in the media, further increasing public concern.

The drivers involved in the car accidents that occurred in front of the emergency room of Seoul National University Medical Center on the 3rd, on the sidewalk near Seoul Station on the 6th, and in Ichon-dong, Yongsan, Seoul, on the 7th were all in their 70s and 80s. As a result, some have called for traffic policies targeting elderly drivers, such as strengthening aptitude tests for elderly drivers and taking back driver’s licenses of those over 70.

Experts say it is a hasty generalization to attribute car accidents to the age of the driver without analyzing the exact cause of each accident. “If the accident near Seoul City Hall Station was caused by a pedal mistake, the error of believing that the brake was pressed when the accelerator was pressed can happen to anyone, regardless of age,” said Han Sang-jin, a professor at Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Environment.

Others have warned against the spread of “ageism,” which can be seen in online posts and comments, such as “old people are mistaken when they get older” and “take away old people’s licenses.” Jung Soon-dul, a professor of social welfare at Ewha Womans University, pointed out, “The word ‘elderly driver’ that does not take into account the physical capabilities of individuals creates prejudice.“

Drivers in the transportation industry, including taxi drivers, expressed their frustration. In the transportation industry, which has a significant number of elderly drivers due to labor shortages, restricting elderly drivers would not only exacerbate the labor shortage but also deprive them of their livelihood.

Bae Jang-jang (68), a taxi driver with 47 years of experience, said, “It’s too harsh to ask me to stop driving just because I’m old, even though I’m physically fit and undergo all the qualification and maintenance tests.” Jang Mo-ju (70), a taxi driver with 20 years of experience, also said, “When young people have accidents, they are not called ‘young driver accidents.’ We should look at the cause comprehensively. I think Korea is too harsh on the elderly.”

It is pointed out that a more fundamental solution is to find a way to make “vehicle” and “road” safer rather than narrowing the focus of a car accident to the personal characteristics of the perpetrator. One example is to encourage the installation of Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS), which can automatically detect vehicles or people in front of a car and activate the braking system with the purpose of avoiding a collision.

“If we want to reduce the frequency of car accidents among elderly drivers, we should encourage them to actively install these assist devices by providing subsidies,” said Han. Lee Ho-geun, a professor at Daedeok University’s Department of Future Automotive, said that instead of “elderly drivers,” society should discuss “high-risk drivers,” who are at higher risk of accidents due to significant declines in physical and cognitive abilities.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.