Abstract
In recent years, the number of elderly people involved in automobile accidents has increased. Persons with dementia （Alzheimer-type dementia, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia） are not permitted to update their driver’s license. The Road Traffic Law has been updated and the license renewal procedure for the elderly has been revised. In addition, a temporary cognitive function test and temporary course for the elderly have also been developed. Going by the revision of the law, the number of persons for whom a dementia specialist's medical examination is needed is estimated to be 50,000 or more. The Supreme Court, on March 1, 2016, passed a judgment denying the compensation liability of the family of a person with dementia. However, because elderly persons suffer from many diseases, it is difficult to judge the causality between an accident and a disease during a criminal trial. There are various legislative issues pertaining to persons with dementia who drive. Therefore, further investigation on this subject is necessary.
