Beginning on the 11th, the National Police Agency and the Korea Road Traffic Authority will pilot a new driving ability diagnostic system aimed at identifying high-risk drivers. This system employs both real-world and virtual reality environments to assess the driving capabilities of seniors aged 75 and over, particularly focusing on those with declining physical and cognitive abilities. The pilot will start at driving license testing centers in Seoul and will gradually expand nationwide by February.

Participants in the pilot program, which targets older drivers who voluntarily wish to be assessed, will receive an objective evaluation of their driving capabilities without the immediate threat of administrative penalties, such as license revocation. Following the assessment, they will be provided with information on safe driving practices and may even be advised to voluntarily return their driver’s licenses based on the diagnostic results. This initiative has been designed to enhance traffic safety among older drivers and help ensure that only those capable of driving safely remain on the roads.

The police and traffic authority plan to use the findings from this pilot to establish a framework for conditional licensing and competency testing for high-risk drivers in the future. As stated by Kim Ho-seung from the National Police Agency, this pilot program represents a crucial step towards formalizing a system that can objectively diagnose the driving skills of high-risk individuals, thereby enhancing traffic safety protocols for this demographic in South Korea.