Key Facts
• Ishikawa police created a checklist to reduce elderly-related traffic accidents.
• Checklist assesses vision, reflexes, and motor skills in six simple steps.
• Developed under the supervision of Assistant Professor Yusuke Sakaguchi, 30, from Hokuriku University.
• Checklist requires no specialized tools and can be done at home.
• A trial session was held on December 2 in Kanazawa City with 40 elderly participants.
• Participant Miyagishi Kiwako, 83, praised the checklist for its clarity and usefulness.
• Checklist will be available on the police website and at traffic safety classes.
• In 2025, 15 out of 31 traffic fatalities in Ishikawa involved elderly drivers.
• Sakaguchi emphasized the importance of making the checklist a pre-driving habit.
• Ishikawa Police Traffic Division Head Kazushi Nishimura hopes it will help prevent accidents.
Summary
To address the rising number of traffic accidents involving elderly drivers, Ishikawa police have introduced a self-diagnostic checklist. Supervised by Hokuriku University’s Assistant Professor Yusuke Sakaguchi, the checklist evaluates six key abilities, including vision, reflexes, and motor skills, without requiring specialized tools. A trial session in Kanazawa City on December 2 saw positive feedback from participants, such as 83-year-old Miyagishi Kiwako, who found it helpful for promoting health awareness. The checklist will be made available online and at traffic safety events. In 2025, nearly half of Ishikawa’s traffic fatalities involved elderly drivers, underscoring the need for such initiatives. Both Sakaguchi and Ishikawa police officials hope the checklist will become a routine safety measure for elderly drivers.
