Scooter, Bike Accidents on the Rise But Car Crashes Dwindle

Deaths from car accidents hit an all-time low last year, but those from accidents with other personal vehicles like electric scooters and bicycles went up apace.

The government on Thursday said 2,735 people died in car accidents last year, down 6.2 percent from a year earlier.

But deaths from accidents with electric scooters soared 36.8 percent, and deadly accidents involving bicycles and motorbikes 30 percent and 5.4 percent.

To reduce them, the government now wants to make licenses mandatory for rental businesses. Currently, anybody can start a scooter rental business without permit. Operators will also have to provide insurance coverage to renters.

To reduce car accidents caused by inattentive elderly drivers, the government is considering giving them only conditional licenses if they are over 65. "With conditional licenses, elderly drivers will be prohibited from driving at night and on expressways and allowed to drive only at certain speeds," a government official said. "Elderly drivers are now responsible for 24 percent of all traffic deaths."

The government also to revise the law so that those who have been fined for drunk driving more than twice must install an ignition lock in their car that is activated by breathalyzer.