One in 4 people aged 80 or older still drive, a government survey on the transport habits of those aged 60 or above showed Tuesday.
The percentage of the elderly who said they drive was higher in rural areas, where public transportation services are limited, indicating cars are indispensable tools for the elderly to go shopping or visit hospitals.
Meanwhile, the ratio of fatal accidents involving drivers aged 75 or older among all such incidents has been on the rise in rapidly graying Japan, increasing from 8.7 percent in 2008 to 14.8 percent in 2018, according to the National Police Agency.