During the past decade, significant progress has been made in collision safety measures, notably the application of collision safety standards to mini-cars, and the implementation of JNCAP (New Car Assessment Japan). This section examines, by type of vehicle, whether these measures are having an effect on the safety of senior drivers. The analysis covers only drivers wearing seat belts, since Japan's collision safety measures presupposes the use of seatbelts.
Figure 11 shows the correlation between the age of drivers and the rate of death and serious injury. Comparing the death/serious injury rate in accidents involving older vehicles (1995-1997) of first registration (first inspection for mini-cars) and that of newer vehicles (2003-2005), the shift in the rate was scrutinized for each age group, using the following formula: Rate of death and serious injury in newer vehicles / Rate of older vehicles.
Regardless of vehicle type, newer vehicles exhibited lower death/serious injury rate in all age groups, showing that the collision safety measures are effective for older drivers as well. The death/serious injury rate for drivers aged 65 and above has fallen to 60-80% in newer regular cars, which is approximately the same as for drivers aged 64 and below. The death/serious injury rate for elderly drivers of mini-cars and mini-trucks also fell to 60-80%.
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