TOKYO - A 100-YEAR-OLD Japanese man who was arrested after his car hit an umbrella held by a child said driving was his ticket to avoiding senility.

'Driving helps me from going senile because it keeps me alert,' police in Sendai, northern Japan, quoted the driver, Masaru Hori, as saying.

The incident marked the second time Hori had been caught for driving without a licence since it was revoked after a hit-and-run accident in August, police said. He was also involved in a similar accident last month, they said.

Mr Hori was arrested on Friday after a policeman saw him hit an umbrella that a seven-year-old child on the street was holding.

The child was unhurt.

Police told the man's family to get rid of the car, media said, and Mr Hori swore his days of illegal driving were over.

'I'll never drive without a licence again,' police quoted him as saying.

Starting in 2009, drivers over age 75 in Japan will be required to get checkups for dementia when they renew their licences. -- REUTERS