Bucheon crash renews debate on older drivers

A truck driven by a 67-year-old man remains at the scene of the crash at Jeil Market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. The vehicle plowed into pedestrians, killing two people and injuring 19 others, Thursday. Yonhap

At Jeil Market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, few anticipated the moment Thursday a 1-ton truck would surge into the crowd, killing two people and leaving 19 others injured.

“The truck came barreling in just as I stepped forward to help a customer checking radishes,” a vendor said. “If I had stayed where I was, I could have died. Later, I told her how grateful I was.”

With police attributing the crash to driver error by the 67-year-old behind the wheel, the incident has revived debate over tightening regulations for older motorists, a discussion that has flared anew after a series of fatal accidents.

Last July, a 68-year-old driver struck pedestrians near Seoul City Hall, killing nine and injuring five. He claimed unintended acceleration, but an appeals court in August rejected the argument and sentenced him to five years in prison.

A similar incident occurred last December, when a 74-year-old man drove into a traditional market in Yangcheon District, southwestern Seoul, killing one and injuring 12.

Police inspect the scene where a 68-year-old driver plowed onto a sidewalk near Seoul City Hall, killing nine people and injuring five, July 1, 2024. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho.

These cases underscore a broader trend: Both the number of drivers 65 and older and the accidents involving them have continued to rise.

Traffic accidents by this group rose 36 percent, from roughly 31,000 in 2020 to more than 42,000 in 2024, according to the Korea Road Traffic Authority. During the same period, their share of all crashes rose from 14.8 percent to 21.6 percent — the highest since records began in 2005.

As of last year, the group numbered 5.17 million — a 126 percent increase since 2015, according to the National Assembly Budget Office. Over the same period, their share among all licensed drivers doubled from 7.6 percent to 14.9 percent, with the total projected to hit 9.83 million by 2050.

Korea’s efforts to reduce age-related crashes largely fall into two tracks: tighter oversight during license renewal and support for seniors who give up their licenses.

For Class 2 licenses, drivers 65 and older must renew every five years, and those 75 and older every three. Drivers 70 and above must also undergo periodic aptitude tests, while those 75 and older are required to complete dementia screenings.

Seniors who surrender their licenses can receive 100,000 to 500,000 won ($69–$344), depending on the municipality. The program began in Busan in 2018 and has since expanded nationwide.

Debris is scattered at Jeil Market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, after a truck driven by a 67-year-old man crashed into pedestrians, killing two people and injuring 19 others, Thursday. Yonhap

Still, the policy’s impact is limited, with only 2.2 percent giving up their licenses last year as incentives fall short.

A 2019 survey by the Korea Rural Economic Institute found that 94.8 percent of farmers 65 and older said they would not give up their licenses, citing no health problems or a lack of transportation alternatives.

Other countries also have measures to curb high-risk driving among older people.

In Japan, drivers 75 and older receive subsidies to buy cars equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems or to add the technology to their current vehicles. Those in that age group who surrender their licenses can get taxi discounts, and cognitive tests are required for renewal.

In the United States, policies vary by state but generally include shorter license renewal cycles, stricter vision tests and mandatory in-person renewals to better oversee elderly drivers.

Experts say Korea should expand support for older drivers who give up their licenses while also providing tailored assistance for those who depend on their cars.

Choi Jae-won, a professor at the Korea Road Traffic Authority, said one-time incentives for seniors who surrender their licenses should be strengthened and made continuous to address the low return rate.

Choi added that expanding demand-responsive transit, which detours to pick up callers between fixed stops and has reported strong results in Busan’s Gijang County and Gangseo District, could be an effective policy.

“For older residents in rural areas, not driving can mean they can’t even buy basic necessities like a roll of toilet paper,” Choi said, stressing that policies must account for their needs.