**Review of 'Conditional Driver's License' System for High-Risk Drivers**

The police are considering the introduction of a 'Conditional Driver's License' system that would allow high-risk drivers, whose driving abilities are impaired due to conditions such as dementia, heart disease, and sleep disorders, to drive under certain conditions. This initiative is part of efforts to improve the current binary structure of the driver's license system.

On the 8th, the police stated, "The current system is limited to a binary structure of maintaining or canceling a driver's license," and added, "We are researching various improvement measures by referencing international examples." This improvement in the system can be viewed as an important attempt to find a balance between driver safety management and the guarantee of mobility rights in an aging society.

**Establishment of Research-Based Improvement Measures**

The National Police Agency has already commissioned a research and development project to the Environmental Planning Institute of Seoul National University for the 'Improvement of the Conditional Driver's License System and Driving Ability Assessment System,' conducting foundational research throughout last year.

The study analyzed overseas cases and proposed measures to allow drivers with conditions such as dementia to drive under specific conditions, such as "prohibition of night driving" or "permission to drive only with vehicles equipped with assistive devices."

Specific improvement proposals suggested in the research include the introduction of a 'third-party reporting system' that enables family members, medical staff, and police to assess a driver's condition and directly request periodic fitness tests.

Furthermore, it also proposed expanding the target of high-risk driver management to include those with various conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and sleep disorders, and the establishment of a 'treatment conditional driver's license' system that would allow limited driving under certain conditions.

**Plans to Establish Standards Appropriate for Domestic Conditions**

A representative from the National Police Agency explained, "Systems that impose various conditions, such as night driving restrictions or vehicles equipped with assistive devices, are already in place in some countries."

In the future, there are plans to introduce VR-based driving simulators as assessment tools to establish standards appropriate for domestic conditions and to examine whether these can be reflected in policy.

The conditional driver's license system is an attempt to secure the safety of high-risk drivers while ensuring their mobility rights, and it is expected to bring significant changes in terms of road safety and driver welfare in the future.

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