Japanese seniors offered perks to ditch car keys
TOKYO (AFP) — Elderly people in Tokyo who surrender their driver's licences will soon enjoy perks when they go to department stores or order pizza, police said Wednesday.
Tokyo police will next month launch the novel campaign in hopes of reducing the number of elderly motorists who should not be driving.
"Please think about returning your licence when you start feeling worried or your family is concerned about your driving," says a leaflet to be handed out.
Japan has seen the number of casualties in traffic accidents decline in recent years thanks to a nationwide campaign against drink driving.
But the number of crashes involving drivers aged 70 or older has jumped by 30 percent in Tokyo over the past six years, police said.
A total of 39 places plan to offer benefits to elderly people who agree not to drive. The perks include discounts at chiropractors, reduced entry fees at parks and free side dishes when ordering pizza.
Other offers include free home delivery of goods from leading department stores and an extra 0.1 percent of interest on savings accounts at one local trust bank.
"We eventually want to increase the number of supporting companies and facilities to about 100," said a police officer in charge of the campaign.
