Older Drivers Are Not Car Crash Magnets !

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued a new report on elderly drivers that might surprise you. The basic finding is that the incidence of car and truck crashes among drivers over 70 is plummeting. The study explored data from 1997 to 2008 regarding fatal and injurious car collisions.

Overall fatal car crashes for the elderly went down 37%, with drivers 80 and older seeing declines in fatal accidents of 50% across the 11 year time period. For younger drivers the reduction in deadly crashes was down only 23%.

Severe crashes reported to the police also declined for older drivers. Injury crash rates were down 34% for older drivers but only 16% for the age group 35 to 54. Why?

The study speculates that it is probably a combination of factors. First, better policing by older drivers of the limitations of their own driving capabilities. Second, improved technologies for vehicular safety. Third, better trauma and EMT care and finally improved health and conditioning in the elderly.

Whatever the reasons the results benefit us all. For more see : http://www.iihs.org/externaldata/srdata/docs/sr4506.pdf