Older Adult Drivers: Fact Sheet
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- Older Adult Drivers CDC Activities
Overview
- In the United States, 3,355 occupants ages 65 and older died in motor vehicle crashes during 2004 (CDC 2006).
- In the United States, more than 177,000 adults ages 65 and older suffered nonfatal injuries as occupants in motor vehicle crashes during 2005 (CDC 2006).
In 2004, there were more than 28 million licensed drivers age 65 years and older— a 17-percent increase from the number in 1994. During this same time period, the total number of licensed drivers increased by only 13 percent (NHTSA 2006).
National Goals
- By 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services aims to reduce motor vehicle-related deaths among people of all ages to no more than 8 per 100,000 people. For adults older than age 70, the motor vehicle death rate has remained stable at about 23 per 100,000 for over a decade (Department of Health and Human Services 2000).
WISQARS
Allows you to form reports on injury mortality and nonfatal injury for a wide range of age groups Injury Maps
Allows you to create maps of U.S. injury mortality rates
Occurrence
- Drivers ages 80 and older have higher crash death rates per mile driven than all but teen drivers (IIHS 2006).
- During 2005, most traffic fatalities involving older drivers occurred during the daytime (79%) and on weekdays (73%); 73% of the crashes involved another vehicle (NHTSA 2006).
Consequences
- Older drivers who are injured in motor vehicle
crashes are more likely than younger drivers to die from their injuries (IIHS 2006).
Groups at Risk
- Across all age groups, rates for motor vehicle-related fatalities are higher for men than for women (IIHS 2006).
Risk Factors
- Age-related decreases in vision, cognitive functions, and physical impairments may affect some older adults’ driving ability (Owsley 1999).
Protective Factors
- Older adults wear safety belts more often than any other age groups except infants and preschool children (CDC 1997).
- Among older occupants involved in fatal crashes, 75% were using restraints at the time of the crash, compared to 62% for other adult occupants (18 to 64 years old) (NHTSA 2006).
- Older adult drivers tend to drive when conditions are safest. They limit their driving during bad weather and at night, and they drive fewer miles than younger drivers (Hakamies-Blomquist 1999).
- Older adult drivers are less likely to drink and drive than other adult drivers (Quinlan et al. 2005).
Sources of Additional Information
University of Michigan, Transportation Research Institute: Promising Approaches for Enhancing Elderly Mobility
University of Florida: Florida Senior Safety Resource Center
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety: Senior Driver Web Site
AAA National: AAA Roadwise Review: A Tool to Help Seniors Drive Safely Longer
University of Michigan, Transportation Research Institute: Driving Decisions Workbook
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Active Aging Programs
Community Transportation Association of America: Senior Transportation
American Society on Aging (ASA): Road Map to Driving Wellness
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Data. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services (US). CDC; 1997. [cited 2002 June 1]. Available from: URL: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/page.asp?yr=1997&state=US&cat=IC#IC.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Online]. (2006). National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). Available from: URL: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars. [cited 2006 Dec 1].
Department of Health and Human Services (US). Healthy People 2010. 2nd ed. With understanding and improving health and objectives for improving health. 2 vols. Washington (DC): Government Printing Office (US); 2000.
Hakamies-Blomquist L. Safety of Older Persons in Traffic in Transportation in an Aging Society: A Decade of Experience. Technical Papers and Reports from a Conference: Bethesda, MD; Nov. 7-9, 1999. Washington, DC, Transportation Research Board; 2004.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Fatality facts, older people. Arlington (VA): IIHS; 2006. Available from: URL: http://www.iihs.org/research/fatality_facts/olderpeople.html [cited 2006 Nov 21].
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation (US). Traffic Safety Facts 2005: Older Population. Washington (DC): NHTSA; 2006 [cited 2006 Nov 21]. Available from: URL: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2005/810622.pdf.
Owsley C. Driver Capabilities in Transportation in an Aging Society: A Decade of Experience. Technical Papers and Reports from a Conference: Bethesda, MD; Nov. 7-9, 1999. Washington, DC, Transportation Research Board; 2004.
Quinlan KP, Brewer RD, Siegel P, Sleet DA, Mokdad AH, Shults RA. Alcohol-Impaired Driving Among U.S. Adults: 1993-2002. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2005;28:346-50.
Unintentional falls are a threat to the lives, independence and health of adults ages 65 and older. Every 18 seconds, an older adult is treated in an emergency department for a fall, and every 35 minutes someone in this population dies as a result of their injuries.