Japan is fast aging, the birth rate falling, and more aged drivers over 70-80 causing fatal traffic accidents. Records show the aged drivers mistakenly step on the gas in excitement when they intend to put on the brakes.

Early this month in Fukuoka an 81-year-old man suddenly lost control of himself behind the wheel with his wife, 76, on his left, frantically forcing the car into the opposite lanes. The car sped for some 700 meters hitting a few on-coming cars and ran into the intersection. The aged couple was dead and several bystanders injured.

The so-called “dankai generation” is reaching the age brackets of 70-80 in Japan and like traffic accidents are reported rather often lately. A popular drive is ongoing to persuade problematic dankai drivers to forfeit the driving license. A popular movie actor, Sugi Ryotaro, volunteered to surrender his license at age 74 to appeal to his likes to follow suit.

Governoress Koike of Tokyo approved an appropriation to cover 90% of the cost of installing a device to prevent the gas pedal from responding to the driver’s undue intent to speed up. The device reportedly costs 30-40 thousand yen and Tokyo’s aged drivers can install it for 9000 yen or so.

—Sponsered Link—