Risk for elderly on Japanese roads

Japan’s National Police Agency has revealed that the country’s road death figures increased slightly in 2015 compared with 2014. Total road fatalities for Japan in 2015 stood at 4,117, an increase of 0.1% from the previous year. There were 536,789 crashes in Japan during 2015, which injured 665,126 people. Of particular concern is the data showing that traffic deaths for those aged 65 or over rose by 2.5% to 2,247 in all, a worrying 54.6% of the total road fatality figure. Official information has not so fa
January 7, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Japan’s National Police Agency has revealed that the country’s road death figures increased slightly in 2015 compared with 2014. Total road fatalities for Japan in 2015 stood at 4,117, an increase of 0.1% from the previous year. There were 536,789 crashes in Japan during 2015, which injured 665,126 people. Of particular concern is the data showing that traffic deaths for those aged 65 or over rose by 2.5% to 2,247 in all, a worrying 54.6% of the total road fatality figure. Official information has not so far revealed why the elderly are at such a risk on Japan’s road network, which is amongst the most strictly enforced in the world.

On a more positive note however, the country’s measures to tackle drink driving appear to be having an effect. Japanese drivers seem to be getting the message that alcohol and motor vehicles do not make a good combination. Crashes caused by drunk driving dropped to just 203 incidents in 2015, a reduction of 10.6% when compared with 2014.

Related Content

  • Concern at worsening road safety worldwide
    May 22, 2019
    The latest road safety data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) provides a serious cause for concern. The annual global road fatality rate has increased in the three years since the WHO last carried out a study of worldwide crash statistics. The report says that 1.35 million people are now killed on the world’s roads every year, compared with a figure of 1.25 million three years ago. The problem is particularly acute in the developing world, where increasing vehicle numbers combine with poor levels
    Read More
  • The financial cost of crashes in the US
    February 1, 2023
    The financial cost of road crashes in the US places a heavy burden.
    Read More
  • Road safety improvements have been seen in France and Turkey
    April 13, 2012
    Both France and Turkey have seen road safety improvements. In Turkey the latest data shows a slight fall in traffic accident fatalities. A recent National Police Department (NPD) research from Turkey indicates that over 10 people die/day in traffic accidents in the country. The research spans the period from 1985 to the end of 2011 and reveals that 3,440,635 were injured in traffic accidents and 152,468 people were killed. But by adding people who died in hospital afterwards, the death count is expected to
    Read More
  • Safety improvements in developed nations
    August 20, 2013
    At a time when road safety is posing a significant threat to both human health and economic development around the world, it is worth noting that in many developed nations the situation is improving. The United Nations has identified road safety as a major problem and established its Decade of Action for Road Safety for the 2010-2020 period, in a bid to cut the growing death toll. But while developing nations are seeing a vast growth in vehicle numbers and road fatalities, the improving road safety situ
    Read More

Highlighted Content