Safety or loss of mobility? Older drivers urged to surrender licenses

Firefighters and emergency workers clean up the scene of a traffic accident near Jonggak Station in Jongno District, Seoul, on Jan. 2, which killed one person and injured 14 others. Yonhap

A taxi driver in his late 70s plowed onto a sidewalk near Jonggak Station in Seoul on Jan. 2, killing one person and injuring 14 others. While a police investigation is underway, the crash has reignited debate over whether drivers aged 65 and older should surrender their licenses.

Amid a rise in traffic accidents involving older drivers, local governments nationwide are promoting programs that encourage seniors to surrender their licenses. Concerns over livelihoods and possible limits on mobility, however, have kept the surrender rate just above 2 percent. Critics call for more realistic measures, such as strengthening competency tests for older drivers and mandating devices that prevent pedal misapplication.

Traffic accidents involving older drivers up 36.4 percent

Traffic accidents involving older drivers are rising sharply. According to the Traffic Accident Analysis System of the Korea Road Traffic Authority on Wednesday, accidents caused by drivers aged 65 and older increased 36.4 percent, from 31,072 cases in 2020 to 42,369 cases in 2024. Over the same period, total traffic accidents fell from 209,654 to 196,349. By contrast, the share of accidents involving older drivers jumped from 14.8 percent to 21.6 percent.

Recent incidents have underscored the trend. On Tuesday, a 65-year-old driver crashed into a cafe with about 20 people inside in Seo District, Incheon. In Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, a driver in his 70s injured two people after hitting a commercial building after pressing the wrong pedal.

Local governments, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government, are actively promoting license surrender among older drivers to improve safety. Last year, Seoul doubled its transportation subsidy for drivers aged 70 and older who give up their licenses, raising it from 100,000 won ($75) to 200,000 won.

According to the city, 31,800 older drivers surrendered their licenses last year, up 27.4 percent from 24,950 the year before. The city expects about 35,000 seniors to give up their licenses this year.

Graphic recreated using artificial intelligence

Some studies suggest that higher license surrender rates among older drivers lead to fewer traffic accidents. According to the Seoul Institute, when the license surrender rate among seniors rises by 1 percentage point, the accident rate involving older drivers falls by 0.02142 percentage points. The institute says that “even a 1 percentage point increase in the surrender rate among older drivers reduces accidents by 203 cases, based on 2024 figures.”

Some older residents say access to public transportation makes license surrender more feasible. Oh, a 64-year-old Seoul resident, says public transportation is convenient in a big city like Seoul, adding that he would consider surrendering his license if he receives adequate transportation support each month and feels his physical abilities decline.

License surrender rate among older drivers remains around 2 percent

Graphic recreated using artificial intelligence

Yet, despite these efforts, the license surrender rate among older drivers remains low. Annual surrender figures were 76,002 in 2020 (2.1 percent), 83,997 in 2021 (2.1 percent), 112,942 in 2022 (2.6 percent), 112,896 in 2023 (2.4 percent) and 114,436 in 2024 (2.2 percent).

Kim, 68, who lives in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, said, “There isn’t much public transportation in the area, so it’s hard to get to the hospital or the grocery store without driving,” adding, “I wouldn’t surrender my license just because of a subsidy.”

Kwon, 70, who lives in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, said, “For seniors living in rural areas, it’s difficult even to leave the house without driving. Asking us to give up our driver’s licenses infringes on our freedom.”

The Seoul Institute says one-time cash incentives for license surrender are not very effective and stresses the need for sufficient alternative mobility options, such as silver taxi vouchers and dedicated shuttle services for seniors.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.