15,000 elderly drivers in Seoul return licenses

More than 15,000 elderly drivers in Seoul have returned their licenses this year, according to Seoul City, Tuesday, after the local administration made efforts to encourage them to stop driving amid an increase in traffic accidents caused by older motorists.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, 15,080 Seoulbased drivers aged 65 or older have turned in their driver’s licenses as of Oct. 23.

The number is a huge increase from 1,387 last year.

The encouragement to stop driving and senior citizens’ responses have come as car accidents involving elderly drivers have been increasing and emerging as a grave social problem. According to the National Police Agency, the number of accidents caused by these drivers jumped sharply from 20,275 in 2014 to 30,012 in 2018 — a 48 percent increase.

Licenses can be returned at 31 police stations and four driver’s license test centers in the capital.

Seoul City said its incentive program contributed to more elderly people giving up driving, under which 7,500 people aged 70 or older who return their driver’s licenses receive a 100,000 won ($86) public transport card.

According to the city government, half of the recipients of the card were selected in order of age, while the other half were chosen by a lottery among elderly drivers who returned their licenses.

Those who were not chosen for the transport card lottery this year will be eligible next year without any separate procedures.

“The city government plans to make efforts to give out as many transport cards as possible to elderly drivers who return their licenses, using its own budget and in cooperation with private companies,” said Hwang Bo-yeon, head of the city government’s urban transport division.