Japan Tries To Sway Older Drivers To Give Up Their Licences For Cheap Noodles

One issue that regulators are trying to figure out is what to do about elderly drivers. Various functions such as eyesight and physical coordination deteriorate and become a danger on the road.

This is a big issue in Japan where the population of older folks is increasing rapidly. The Guardian reports that an estimated 17 million people over 65 hold a driver's license. Of those, 4.8 million are over 75 years old. This is turn has seen a rise in accidents. Japan's national police agency says that accidents involving drivers over the age of 75 has risen from 7.4 to 12.8 percent within the past decade.

How do you get elderly drivers to give up their licenses without forcing them. One way is to offer cheap noodles. Under a scheme in Aichi prefecture in central Japan, elderly drivers who give up their licenses will be given a discount on ramen noodles at the Sugakiya restaurant chain.

This is similar to a campaign underway in Tokyo where drivers who give up their licenses will be awarded a “graduation” certificate in recognition of their decades behind the wheel. This campaign also gives those discounts on bus and taxi fares.

Pic Credit: Newspress