Designated driver
Asahi: 95% say their aged relatives shouldn't be on the road
On a busy street in Tokyo's Minato Ward, a minivan suddenly swerved onto a crowded sidewalk. It halted once, then lunged ahead, mowing down one pedestrian after another. The February accident injured five. The driver, arrested on the spot, had no idea of what he had done, or even why he was there. The man, 87, was found to be suffering from senile dementia. His family had tried to persuade him to give up his driver's license, but he had refused...No statistics are available for accidents involving drivers with dementia. But a simple calculation-about 7 percent of people 75 or older have dementia and there are 2.16 million drivers in that age bracket-puts the potential number of driving license holders with dementia at about 150,000...more...