Both young and old wanted off the roads

It seems that these days your driving skills tend to follow a parabolic curve - for those of you who aren't mathematically inclined it means you have next-to-zero skills when you’re in your teens, gradually get better during mid-life and then the skills fade away as you approach the twilight years.

Proposals for curfews or full bans on certain drivers have traditionally been met with angst but now Japan is trialling a new scheme to rid the road of drivers over the age of 65, Reuters reports. Local police with the aid of several businesses in Tokyo are providing discounts and other such benefits to people over the age of 65 who hand in their driving licenses.

The benefits range from increased interest rates at the bank to discounted meals in hotels, and the scheme is fully endorsed by the Tokyo police who are asking old-aged drivers to hand in their licenses if they feel they are no longer driving as well as they used to. It’s worth mentioning that last year in Japan more than 100,000 car accidents were caused by people aged over 65.

The UK, meanwhile, is looking at the other end of the spectrum. A House of Commons transport committee report has recommended the government raise the driving age from 17 to 18, force learner drivers to practice for a full year before getting the licenses, and ban young drivers from carrying other young people late at night. Statistics have shown that young drivers are involved in one third of fatal accidents but only make up one eighth of the driving population, causing concern among lawmakers who view lack of experience and overconfidence as major contributing factors.