Japan to tighten driving test for seniors with prior violations by 2027

Tokyo officials announced that the National Police Agency intends to strengthen the mandatory on-road test for drivers 75 years or older who have a record of specific traffic violations. Data showed that even after the test’s introduction in May 2022, accidents involving seniors mistakenly pressing the accelerator instead of the brake continued. The proposed revision adds a “direction change” maneuver to assess accurate pedal operation and steering, and tightens the scoring system, introducing new deductions for overlooking traffic and for crossing stop lines.

The agency will pursue the necessary regulatory updates and target implementation in 2027. The move follows a survey indicating that seniors with prior violations who passed the current test still cause accidents at a rate about 2.8 times higher than peers without such histories.