Abstract
The aging society is accelerating, and the aging of drivers is also advancing. Even though they have some kind of illness, including the elderly, they need to drive to maintain their lives and return into society. However, on the other hand, there are no end to accidents caused by sudden changes in physical condition. In the future, it is expected that autonomous driving technology will advance and make driverless vehicles, but until then, driving support is needed so that drivers can drive safely and without anxiety if the disease situation is acceptable. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed the current situation and characteristics of traffic accidents caused by epilepsy and heart disease using Japanese traffic accident statistical data. Furthermore, required support technologies for safety driving were proposed. The number of accidents with fatality caused by health-related problems were 182 in 10 years, and the number of accidents with serious and minor injuries was 2,374, showing a slight increase. According to the traffic accident statistics, they were classified into epilepsy, heart attack and cerebrovascular disorder accident, and they each accounted for almost the same proportion. Approximately 95％ occurred on general roads, and there were many single vehicle and rear-end collision accidents. The accident occurrence situation of health-related vehicle accidents was characteristic. In order for both drivers and business operators to be able to use the car safely and without anxiety, it is necessary to provide redundant three-step “safety and security” driving support. That is, medical check before driving, driving with less stress, detection of signs for physical condition, and emergency stop support are required to build safety equipment.
