Taipei launches scooter refresher course for seniors

Taipei launches scooter refresher course for seniors

2024-06-28

Taipei’s Motor Vehicles Office has launched a refresher course for mature scooter drivers. The course is geared toward drivers 65 and older, who accounted for more than 50% of all traffic deaths and injuries last year. During the first class on Friday, drivers brushed up on skills like vehicle inspection and emergency braking. They also got reacquainted with road safety regulations. The program is currently optional, but may become mandatory one day.

Seniors on scooters get more traffic tickets and have more accidents, data shows. Last year in Taipei, 1,870 older adults were injured or killed on the road while riding scooters. They accounted for more than 50% of all traffic deaths and injuries in the city.

Here at this driving school, instructors give pointers on safe riding. Working with private companies, Taipei’s Motor Vehicles Office has launched a scooter course for seniors. It teaches everything from basic emergency braking to road regulations, to instill the importance of safety among older drivers.

Student
The older generation taught us driving practices like having a hand on the brake at all times. My father taught me. So we never took such a class before. Today the instructor showed us the proper way to brake.

Chen Yu-ying
National Cheng Kung University professor
They’ll admit that they don’t use turn signals or don’t wear a helmet when riding in the country. They come right out and say it.

With Taiwan to become a “super-aged society” by 2025, there will only be more and more older drivers on the road. By law, drivers aged 75 and up must renew their license with a physical exam and cognitive function test every three years. Otherwise, they must stay off the roads.

Lee Pei-yun
Taipei City Motor Vehicles Office
We hope that older drivers will feel that the course is very helpful. If the course helps to improve traffic safety awareness, we hope that the transport ministry will institutionalize it.

The course is currently not compulsory for seniors, but offered on a voluntary basis. But officials encourage older drivers to sign up and help make the roads safer for all.

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高齡者機車事故死傷占比高 "高齡駕訓課程"加強道安

2024-06-28

目前75歲以上駕駛，每三年就要體檢換發駕照一次，才能上路，但還是經常有長者，因不熟悉路況發生意外，以北市為例，去年高齡者的機車事故死傷人數，就佔整體的56%，台北市區監理所和業者合辦高齡駕訓課程，讓長者從頭熟悉交通規則和正確的騎車姿態，目前屬於鼓勵性質，但未來也可能進一步討論，入法強制。

年長者騎車上路，經常因違反交通規則，或不熟悉路況，導致意外發生。以台北市為例，去年高齡者發生的交通事故中，光是騎車的死傷人數，就有1870人。在整體事故中佔比超過五成。

教練親自示範，正確的騎車姿態和規範。台北市區監理所和業者合辦"高齡駕訓課程"，從頭教起緊急煞車和道安規則，期盼能建立正確的觀念，加強長者的騎乘安全。

[[參與學員]]
“我們自己的習慣，像以前長輩教我們都是手要放在煞車上，是爸爸教我的，所以我們沒有上過這個駕訓班，今天教練跟我們講的是說，煞車是怎麼樣的標準動作”

[[成大職能治療系助理教授陳郁婷]]
“他們會自己承認，我沒有打方向燈，或者是在偏鄉裡面，沒有戴安全帽，他們其實自己也會講”

台灣即將在2025年，邁入超高齡社會，代表高齡駕駛會越來越多，目前規定，75歲以後，每3年就要體檢，以及通過認知功能測驗，才能換發駕照，否則就不能上路。

[[台北市區監理所副所長李珮芸]]
“希望說高齡長輩，透過這個駕訓課程的一個參與，覺得說很有幫助，然後對安全有提升的話，未來我們希望說(交通)部裡面，可以正式落入法制化來做一個規範”

即便目前高齡駕訓班，屬於鼓勵性質並非強制課程，但長者道安觀念還是得更加落實，才能有效降低意外發生機率。

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