Conditional licenses for older drivers
As my three-year conditional driver's license expires in the last quarter of 2024, I went to get it renewed on Aug. 19. For people aged 75 or older, driver's licenses are valid for only three years, compared to the 10-year validity period for younger drivers.
To renew my license, I attended a safety education session at the Gangnam KoRoad Driver's License Examination Office next to Gangnam Police Station.
The two-hour mandatory education at the office required certification of cognitive fitness from the Gangnam Dementia Center, as well as physical tests for vision and hearing.
Even though my driver's license is valid until the fourth quarter of 2027, I haven't touched the steering wheel in a long time. Since the second quarter of 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, my family strongly advised me not to drive. Instead, I've been using the license primarily as an ID.
Despite KoRoad's consistent recommendation to voluntarily return the license in exchange for a traffic credit card worth 100,000 won, several non-driving license holders among the 30 applicants who renewed their permits with me on the same day chose to keep theirs.
Currently, older drivers are not required to give up their licenses. There is no set age when everyone should stop driving. Older drivers are at higher risk of crashing than middle-aged people because of declining vision, hearing, motor skills, cognitive ability and medical conditions that could affect their driving. I am sure they are more likely than younger drivers to be involved in certain types of unusual accidents and fatal collisions at driveways or intersections.
The correlation between old age and driving has been a controversial issue for many years not only in Korea but also in other parts on the world. Testing drivers based on age has been staunchly opposed due to ageism. The decision to retire from driving should ultimately be left to individual judgment, as I understand.
As people age differently, some may remain capable of driving longer than others, while some might struggle to accept their diminished fitness. However, with the rise in traffic accidents involving older drivers in Korea, it is crucial for seniors like myself to seriously consider the importance of safety when operating a motor vehicle, regardless of time, place, or circumstance.
As long as I am able to walk independently at my octogenarian age, I would like to retain my driver's license for both class 1 (vehicles with 12 seats or fewer) and class 2 (vehicles with 9 seats or fewer) purely as an ID, while refraining from getting behind the wheel unless it is absolutely necessary.
The writer (wkexim@naver.com) is a freelance columnist living in Seoul.
Home > 게시판
