Community-minded Rally Drivers Amplifying Local Safety Efforts
In a unique initiative aimed at improving road safety, six top Japanese rally drivers led a series of safe driving lectures for senior citizens. The Good Driver Lesson event, which started in 2019, was initiated due to concerns about senior drivers causing accidents.
The first event took place in Rankoshi, Hokkaido, a small town with a population of approximately 4,500, located about 2.5 hours by car from Sapporo. Rankoshi became the venue for the first Good Driver Lesson event, following a conversation between the event's deputy director, Fumio Nutahara, and the town's mayor, Hideyuki Kon.
The event was led by six top Japanese rally drivers: Fumio Nutahara, Norihiko Katsuta, Toshihiro Arai, Yuta Yamamoto, Takahito Sone, and Yuya Sumiyama. Nutahara, a car enthusiast, felt compelled to address the issue of senior drivers causing accidents due to mistaken pedals and started the Good Driver Lesson event in response.
Pro drivers, according to Nutahara, compete as the ultimate safe drivers in rallies. Their precision and advanced vehicle control techniques, such as those involving pace notes and distance measurements used in rally competition, translate effectively into teaching safe driving.
The Good Driver Lesson event uses Suppocars, Toyota's safety support vehicles. Local Toyota dealerships agreed to help with the event, and coordination was made with local police. The event offers opportunities for people to learn about safe driving and the latest technology.
The Super Special Stage of the rally was held inside Toyota Stadium. Chairman Akio Toyoda believes that pro drivers, as driver safety instructors, can convey both skills and fun in safe driving. On November 22, a Good Driver Lesson event was held at Toyota Stadium, where pro rally drivers offered safe driving tips, especially for older drivers.
Mayor Kon expressed interest in an event that could combine the town's role as a location for the Japanese Rally Championship and increased awareness of traffic safety for aging residents. The initiative aligns with broader goals in Japan to improve road safety for an aging population, who require tailored driving support and education to maintain independence safely.
These lectures contribute to community safety efforts supported by companies like Toyota and industry associations focused on traffic accident prevention and driver education. The background and purpose of these safe driving lectures by professional rally drivers for senior drivers in Japan is to reduce traffic accidents among the elderly population. This initiative represents a unique collaboration between the motorsport community and public safety advocates to address the high rate of traffic incidents involving older drivers.
The Good Driver Lesson event started as a way to pay back the local communities for their support in rallies. More than 40% of Rankoshi's residents are over the age of 65, and the town relies heavily on private vehicles for transportation. The event was based on the idea that conveying safe driving skills could be a hint to daily life driving.
Recently, the Forum8 Rally Japan 2023 took place from November 16 to 19 in Aichi and Gifu prefectures. While the Good Driver Lesson event did not coincide with the rally this year, it continues to be an ongoing initiative aimed at improving road safety for senior citizens in Japan.
- The Good Driver Lesson event, spearheaded by professional rally drivers like Fumio Nutahara, aims to combine the thrill of motorsports with education on personal growth, specifically focusing on safe driving techniques for the elderly, as a unique approach to promote skills for daily life and minimize traffic accidents.
- Drawing on the precision and advanced vehicle control techniques from sports such as rally driving, this education-and-self-development initiative offers opportunities for personal-growth linked to safe sports-analysis and responsible driving, with the ultimate goal of reducing accidents among Japan's aging population and improving road safety for all.
