Getting Seniors Out from Behind the Wheel -- Voluntarily

Over the last six years, crashes involving drivers age 70 and older have jumped by 30 percent in Tokyo. Because it can be tough for family members to take the keys away from their older relatives, it's better for seniors to voluntarily give up driving.

To encourage unsafe senior drivers to give up driving, 39 Tokyo busineses plan to offer benefits to elderly people who agree not to drive. The perks include free home delivery from leading department stores, discounts at chiropractors, reduced entry fees at parks, free side dishes when ordering pizza, and discounts at hotels. One bank is advertising higher interest rates for seniors who hand over their licenses and stop driving. The plan is to get 100 businesses participating in the program.

"Have the courage to give up your licence," the police say on a Web site promoting the program. "If you have lost confidence in your driving, if your family says they are worried about your driving, please think about handing in your licence."

For drivers who chose the stay behind the wheel

These incentives aren't the only measures Japanese companies are taking to protect their aging population behind the wheel. Ryuta Kawashima, a professor who helped develop Nintendo Brain Age games, is teaming with Toyota to develop cars that help seniors drive safely. The two companies are hoping to share research to build cars that can monitor a driver's driving patterns and curb dangerous activity. For example, technology like this could slow the car if it senses the driver is hitting the accelerator for no reason. "Ultimately, we hope to develop cars that stimulate brain activity, so that driving itself becomes a form of brain training," explains Kawashima.