The number of people returning driving license - a record high in Tokyo

Recently NHK News On-line reported the following:

首都圏 NEWS WEB

免許返納者 東京では過去最多に

12月28日　18時16分

ことし、全国で高齢ドライバーによる交通事故が相次いだことを受け、東京都内では運転免許を返納する人の数が過去最多となっています。

警視庁は返納を促す取り組みを進めるとともに、「年末年始で家族が集まる機会に相談してほしい」と呼びかけています。

ことし４月、東京・池袋で高齢ドライバーが運転する乗用車が暴走し、親子２人が死亡するなど、全国で高齢ドライバーによる交通事故が相次ぎました。

警視庁によりますと、こうした事故をきっかけに、都内では高齢者を中心に運転免許を返納する人が増えていて、ことしは先月までに６万１１９人に上りました。

これまでで最も多かった平成２９年をおよそ１万４０００人上回り、過去最多となっています。

警視庁では、返納を促す取り組みを進めていて、今月からは代理人による免許返納を都内各地の警察署でも受け付けています。

代理人による申請は本人の委任状などが必要で、委任状は警視庁のホームページでもダウンロードできます。

警視庁は「少しでも運転に不安がある人は返納を検討し、年末年始で家族が集まる機会に相談してほしい」と呼びかけています。

Translation

The number of people returning their driver's licenses in Tokyo became the highest ever, following a series of traffic accidents by elderly drivers nationwide.

The Metropolitan Police Department had been working on encouraging driving licence returning, and expressed that they "hope the opportunity of family gathering during year-end-and-new year holidays would be used to do consultation."

In April, a number of traffic accidents occurred that were caused by elderly drivers nationwide, including a car driven recklessly by an elderly driver in Ikebukuro of Tokyo that killed a parent and a child.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, the number of people returning driver's licenses in Tokyo had been increasing, mainly among the elderly following this accident, and the number reached 60,119 last month.

This was the highest number ever, exceeding the number of people in 2017 which was the highest at that time by about 14,000.

The Metropolitan Police Department was working on encouraging the returns; and from this month, police had been accepting license returned by representatives at police stations around the city.

An application by an agent required a letter of attorney etc., which could also be downloaded from the Police Department's website.

The Metropolitan Police Department had called out that “people who are worried about driving, even for a brief moment, to consider returning their permits; and to discuss this on the occasion of family gatherings during the year-end-and-new-year holidays.”

     It is surprising to know that so many road accidents had been caused by old age drivers in Japan.