TRAFFIC ACCIDENT STATISTICS

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Deaths related to traffic accidents have significantly decreased over the past five years. But this doesn't mean the actual number of traffic accidents have dropped. Although the number of car accidents caused by younger drivers are decreasing, accidents involving elderly drivers over 65 are continuously increasing. Here's more.

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A car rammed into a sidewalk. It hit a child and an apartment security office before screeching to a halt. The accident occurred because the driver failed to apply the brakes to stop the car. This vehicle hit a pedestrian at a crosswalk in the nighttime. The driver failed to notice the pedestrian and slow down even right before the accident. All these accidents were caused by drivers aged 65 or older. A plunge in traffic accident-related deaths in the past 5 years, raised expectations about improved road safety. However, the total number of traffic accidents has not decreased, with a growing number of them caused by elderly drivers. The number of car accidents involving elderly drivers jumped nearly 50 percent from some 20,000 in 2014 to roughly 30,000 last year. The rate of accidents is quite high, even if the nation's rising elderly population is taken into account. Last year, 110 accidents were caused by some 10,000 elderly drivers on average. That's twice as many as accidents involving drivers in their 20s to 40s. A campaign is in place to encourage elderly drivers to voluntarily turn in their driver's licenses to authorities. However, it is not legally binding and therefore such a move has its limits.

[Soundbite] IM CHAE-HONG(SAMSUNG TRAFFIC SAFETY RESEARCH INSTITUTE) : "Existing policies focus on discouraging elderly drivers from driving on the road. But other measures should be introduced simultaneously for them, such as enlarging safety signboards and extending traffic signal time."

Experts say there is a need to create regular training programs or aptitude tests through which elderly drivers can assess their driving skills and capabilities.