9 Years Since Ikebukuro Accident: Japan Had Nearly 400 Fatalities Caused by Elderly Drivers Last Year
Statistics from Japan's National Police Agency show nearly 400 fatal accidents caused by drivers aged 75+ last year, mostly due to improper operation. Safety devices will be mandatory on new automatic cars from 2028.
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- 📰 Published: April 19, 2026 at 18:31
- 🔍 Collected: April 19, 2026 at 19:00 (29 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 19:28 (27 min after Collected)
According to the Asahi Shimbun, based on statistics from Japan's National Police Agency, among fatal accidents caused by drivers aged 75 and older last year, "improper operation" (such as pressing the wrong pedal) was the most common cause, accounting for 33%, which is more than three times that of drivers under 75.
Last year, there were 397 fatal accidents caused by drivers aged 75 and older (including motorcycles), a decrease of 13 cases from the previous year, but it still accounted for 17.6% of overall fatal accidents, the same as the year before, and an increase of 4.8 percentage points compared to 10 years ago, showing an upward trend.
On the other hand, a report presented by a National Police Agency expert panel in 2020 pointed out that in rapidly aging mountainous and inter-plain areas, due to a lack of public transportation, residents still highly rely on driving themselves for daily life activities like shopping, going to the doctor, and farming.
To address this issue, the Japanese government has stipulated that starting from September 2028, new automatic vehicles must be mandatorily equipped with safety devices to prevent acceleration caused by mistakenly stepping on the gas pedal.
In addition, measures for voluntarily surrendering driver's licenses are also being promoted. In 2019, when the Ikebukuro runaway car accident occurred, the number of voluntary license returns reached a record high of about 601,000. It temporarily decreased afterward due to the pandemic, but has increased again since 2024, reaching about 435,000 cases last year. Among them, returns by those aged 75 and older accounted for about 60% of the total over the past five years.
The Ikebukuro runaway car accident occurred on April 19, 2019, when a passenger car driven by Kozo Iizuka, former head of the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, crashed into pedestrians, killing 31-year-old Mana Matsunaga and her 3-year-old daughter Riko, and injuring 9 others. Iizuka was sentenced to 5 years in prison for professional negligence resulting in death under the Act on Punishment of Acts Inflicting Death or Injury on Others by Driving a Motor Vehicle, and he passed away in prison in October 2024 at the age of 93. (Editor: Chen Cheng-kung) 1150419
Last year, there were 397 fatal accidents caused by drivers aged 75 and older (including motorcycles), a decrease of 13 cases from the previous year, but it still accounted for 17.6% of overall fatal accidents, the same as the year before, and an increase of 4.8 percentage points compared to 10 years ago, showing an upward trend.
On the other hand, a report presented by a National Police Agency expert panel in 2020 pointed out that in rapidly aging mountainous and inter-plain areas, due to a lack of public transportation, residents still highly rely on driving themselves for daily life activities like shopping, going to the doctor, and farming.
To address this issue, the Japanese government has stipulated that starting from September 2028, new automatic vehicles must be mandatorily equipped with safety devices to prevent acceleration caused by mistakenly stepping on the gas pedal.
In addition, measures for voluntarily surrendering driver's licenses are also being promoted. In 2019, when the Ikebukuro runaway car accident occurred, the number of voluntary license returns reached a record high of about 601,000. It temporarily decreased afterward due to the pandemic, but has increased again since 2024, reaching about 435,000 cases last year. Among them, returns by those aged 75 and older accounted for about 60% of the total over the past five years.
The Ikebukuro runaway car accident occurred on April 19, 2019, when a passenger car driven by Kozo Iizuka, former head of the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, crashed into pedestrians, killing 31-year-old Mana Matsunaga and her 3-year-old daughter Riko, and injuring 9 others. Iizuka was sentenced to 5 years in prison for professional negligence resulting in death under the Act on Punishment of Acts Inflicting Death or Injury on Others by Driving a Motor Vehicle, and he passed away in prison in October 2024 at the age of 93. (Editor: Chen Cheng-kung) 1150419