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Exploring the declines in older driver fatal crash involvement.
Ivan Cheung1, Anne T McCartt, Keli A Braitman
1Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Arlington, Virginia, USA.
Summary
Older drivers, aged 70+, are driving more, yet their fatal crash rates declined significantly from 1997-2006. This trend was most pronounced for those 80+ and in intersection or two-vehicle crashes.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Traffic Safety
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The population of drivers aged 70 and older is rapidly increasing.
- Older drivers are retaining their licenses and driving more miles.
- Historically, older driver crash fatalities showed an upward trend.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reasons behind the decline in fatal crash involvement among older drivers between 1997 and 2006.
- To analyze trends in older driver crash rates relative to population and licensed drivers.
- To compare the decline in older driver fatal crashes with that of younger age groups.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of fatal crash data for drivers aged 70 and older during 1997-2006.
- Calculation of crash rates per licensed driver, per population, and per mile traveled.
- Comparison of crash rate declines between older drivers and a reference group (drivers aged 35-54).
Main Results:
- Fatal crash rates per licensed driver and per population declined for older drivers (70+) from 1997-2006.
- Crash involvement per mile traveled also decreased for older drivers (1995-2001).
- Rates declined more significantly for drivers 70+ and even more so for drivers 80+ compared to drivers aged 35-54.
Conclusions:
- Significant reductions in fatal crash involvement were observed among older drivers during 1997-2006.
- These declines were particularly notable for the oldest age groups (80+) and specific crash types like intersection and two-vehicle crashes.
- The findings suggest improvements in older driver safety or contributing factors, despite increased driving prevalence.
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