Japan to Add T-Course Test for Older Drivers Renewing Licenses

Japan is preparing to make license renewals far tougher for drivers aged 75 and over. A new practical test would examine whether they can change direction safely while controlling the accelerator and brake pedals.

The National Police Agency’s proposal centers on a T-shaped course. Drivers would first cross an intersection, stop, reverse into a right turn and enter the alley they had passed. After stopping again, they would turn right while moving forward and drive back toward their starting point. The sequence tests forward driving, stopping, reversing, changing direction and forward turning, as well as the ability to check the front, rear and sides of the vehicle.

The proposed test would substantially increase the difficulty of the current driving-skills examination, which covers driving at a designated speed, temporary stops, left and right turns, passing signals and driving over a step. The agency also plans to double the penalty for going too far beyond a stop line, from 20 points to 40. Drivers need more than 70 points out of 100 to pass, while a deduction at the temporary-stop stage can immediately end the test.

The current examination became mandatory in May 2022 for drivers aged 75 or older who had committed violations such as running a red light or failing to stop during the previous three years. The agency said a two-year follow-up found that drivers who passed the existing test had about three times as many crashes as drivers who did not need to take it. It plans to introduce the changes next year after revising traffic-law regulations. Last year, Japan recorded 2,547 deaths within 24 hours of traffic crashes, below 3,000 for the sixth consecutive year but above the government’s earlier target of fewer than 2,000.

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It appears that drivers whose abilities have declined and who are prone to causing traffic accidents are passing the existing driving-skills test, so the test needs to be strengthened to prevent unfortunate traffic accidents involving older drivers.