TRAFFIC SAFETY EDUCATION FOR SENIOR CITIZENS IN JAPAN: PROMOTION OF SENIOR CITIZENS' EDUCATIONAL TRAINING AND ITS OUTLOOK

The Traffic Countermeasures Headquarters, established in September 1988, educates senior citizens in traffic safety, a subject that has received attention from several prefectures. Since around 1972, education on this subject has been provided in many forms. In many cases, however, measures are directed only at protecting senior citizens. Programs that encourage the elderly to adapt to a society in which cars are a vital means of transportation are not always available. Now that we have entered an aging society, senior citizens play a different role than they have in the past. A growing number actively participate in society through work, hobbies, volunteer activities and the like. As a result, there are increasing opportunities for elderly persons to go out and unfortunately, more traffic accidents involving senior citizens are occurring. The increase in the number of aged drivers has heightened the need to implement traffic accident prevention measures. This report explains the necessity and effectiveness of a new style of traffic safety education for the aged. With this program, senior citizens gain real-life experience in traffic safety as they practice being pedestrians and drivers. This report gives precautions for implementing such a new style of education and discusses its future outlook.