Older Adult Drivers: Fact Sheet

Older Adult Drivers: Fact Sheet

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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.