Changing vehicles to reduce older driver fatalities: An effective approach?

Age-related frailty leaves older drivers with the greatest fatality risk when involved in a crash compared with younger demographics. This study explored how vehicle features differed between crash-involved older and middle-aged drivers and estimated how those differences contribute to excess older driver fatalities.

We merged Florida's crash data from 2014-2018 with Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute databases. We compared the distribution of passenger vehicle age, type, size, and safety features among crash-involved older drivers (ages 70 and older) with crash-involved middle-aged drivers (ages 35-54). From logistic regression models, we estimated declines in older driver fatalities if they drove vehicles like those driven by middle-aged drivers under all and side-impact crash scenarios.

Older drivers in crashes were more likely to be in vehicles that were lighter, older, and without standard electronic stability control, standard head-protecting side airbags, and ratings of good in two IIHS crash tests than middle-aged drivers. In adjusted models, the fatality risk for older drivers in all crashes was significantly higher when ESC was not standard (odds ratio [OR], 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-1.68) or when driving small passenger cars relative to large SUVs (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.25-3.26); in driver-side crashes, the fatality risk doubled when vehicles did not have standard head-protecting side airbags (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.58-2.62). If older drivers drove vehicles similar to middle-aged drivers, we estimated 3.3% and 4.7% fewer deaths in all and side-impact crashes, respectively.

These results contribute to evidence suggesting that newer, more crashworthy vehicles with crash mitigation features benefit older drivers because of their heightened risk of crash-related fatality.

At a minimum, older drivers should aim to drive equipped vehicles with widely available features proven to reduce fatalities.