Seniors Make Up Over 50 Pct of 2023 Traffic Deaths in Japan

   Tokyo, June 21 (Jiji Press)--People aged 65 or over accounted for 54.7 pct of traffic accident deaths in Japan in 2023, an annual government report showed Friday.
   According to the 2024 traffic safety white paper, 2,678 people died in traffic accidents across the nation last year, including 1,466 who were 65 or over.
   The report pointed to the need for measures to ensure the safety of community roads and support elderly drivers, noting that declines in cognitive and body functions tend to cause accidents involving elderly people.
   Of traffic accidents that led to deaths of pedestrians aged 64 or younger in 2013-2023, the share of those who died while crossing streets stood at 50.6 pct. The proportion was higher, at 66.7 pct, in the age group of 65 to 69 and 82.1 pct among those who were 85 or over.
   The white paper said that it is necessary to take measures to improve traffic safety, including setting up road humps and designating more areas where the speed limit for vehicles is set at 30 kilometers per hour.

(2024/06/21-13:36)

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