Truck Crashes Into Market: Growing Number of Accidents Involving Elderly Drivers Raises Concerns Over Lack of Countermeasures

Following a recent incident in Bucheon where an elderly driver plowed into a market, resulting in 21 casualties, concerns are mounting among citizens as pedal misapplication is cited as the cause. Experts note that such accidents are rising every year and stress the need for effective countermeasures.
According to police on the 17th, the truck crash at Jeil Market, Wonjong-dong, Ojeong-gu, Bucheon on the 13th left two people dead and 19 injured. Black box footage reportedly showed the 67-year-old driver, identified as A, pressing the accelerator instead of the brake at the time of the accident.
Accidents involving vehicles driven by elderly individuals, often attributed to lack of driving proficiency, continue to occur. In September last year, a driver in his 70s crashed into a hamburger restaurant in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, resulting in one death and five injuries. In December, another driver in his 70s drove into Mokdong Kkaebi Market in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, killing one person and injuring 12.
This trend is also reflected in statistics. According to an analysis by the Traffic Accident Analysis System (TAAS) of the Korea Road Traffic Authority (KoROAD), traffic accidents involving drivers aged 65 and older surged by 36.4%, from 31,072 cases in 2020 to 42,369 last year. The proportion of accidents involving elderly drivers reached 21.6% last year, marking the highest figure since statistics were first compiled in 2005.
The main causes of accidents involving elderly drivers include diminished situational judgment, cognitive ability, and motor skills due to aging, as well as pedal misapplication. According to a study by the Samsung Traffic Safety Research Institute analyzing pedal misapplication accidents from 2019 to 2024, drivers aged 65 and older accounted for 25.7% of all such incidents.
Some drivers claim sudden unintended acceleration due to vehicle defects, but such claims have never been officially recognized. The driver responsible for the Jeil Market crash in Bucheon initially insisted on sudden acceleration, but admitted to pedal misapplication after police presented evidence. In the 'City Hall Station Wrong-Way Crash' last July, which resulted in nine deaths, the 69-year-old driver also claimed sudden acceleration, but an investigation by the National Forensic Service (NFS) found pedal misapplication to be the cause. To date, neither the NFS nor the Supreme Court of Korea has recognized a single case of sudden acceleration caused by vehicle defects.
Local governments have implemented the Voluntary Driver's License Surrender Program to reduce accidents involving elderly drivers, but its effectiveness has been questioned. Many elderly people are reluctant to surrender their licenses due to concerns about losing their livelihood or mobility, resulting in a surrender rate of only around 2%. Meanwhile, the number of elderly individuals obtaining new licenses is rapidly increasing. According to KoROAD, 34,560 people aged 60 and older obtained new driver's licenses in 2023, a 58.5% increase compared to 21,799 in 2019.
Experts recommend expanding the installation of safety devices. The Japanese government has mandated the installation of pedal misapplication prevention devices in passenger cars sold after September 2028. In Japan, more than 90% of vehicles produced since 2023 are already equipped with such devices, and the number of accidents involving elderly drivers has reportedly been halved since their introduction. Kim Pil-soo, a professor at Daelim University College, explained, "Equipping both new and existing vehicles with pedal misapplication prevention devices would maximize accident prevention."

jyseo@fnnews.com Seo Ji-yoon Reporter