Senior Drivers Over the Age of 85 Have Car Accident Fatality Rate 9 times Higher Than Younger Drivers
In 2009, there were more than 33 million licensed drivers over the age of 65 in the United States and that number is estimated to grow to 70 million by the year 2030. Americans are living longer lives than previous generations but that means many are outliving their ability to drive safely by seven to 10 years. Cognitive, visual and physical declines mean that many elderly people are not able to drive as safely as they once were.
Most elderly drivers recognize their limitations and choose to stop driving in the dark, in rush hour traffic or far away from home even if they resist giving up their license. If you have an elderly parent who is still driving but you don’t feel should be, the first step is to have a discussion and ask them to get an evaluation at the doctor.
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Top 10 Safest and Most Dangerous States for Senior Drivers
It is understood that senior drivers have higher car accident rates and driver deaths but it turns out that not all states are created equal when it comes to senior driving fatalities. A survey* conducted by senior care resources company caring.com and released July, 2016 lists the top 10 most and least dangerous states in the United States for senior drivers. Strangely, the state with the smallest total square miles (Rhode Island) proved to be the most dangerous state for senior drivers and the state with the fifth largest total square miles was the safest (New Mexico). In 2014, Rhode Island’s senior drivers accounted for a whopping 35 percent of all the roadway deaths in their state despite only making up 16 percent of the population.
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