Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Fatal Accidents Involving Senior Drivers in Massachusetts
Despite the common belief that older drivers are more likely to be involved in serious car accidents, researchers have found data to show the opposite. According to research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, fewer older drivers were involved in fatal traffic accidents during 1997-2006 when compared to previous decades.
The number of drivers ages 70 and older that were killed in auto accidents has decreased by 21%, even though the population of people aged 70 and older increased.
Reasons for the Decline of Senior Driver Accident Fatalities
The reasons for this decline are still not clear, but another study has suggested that older drivers limit their driving as they get older. They often limit their driving due to poor health, mobility, vision and memory.
A separate ongoing study by the IIHS is looking into the reasons as to why older drivers are limiting their driving. The study is examining how older drivers reduce the amount of their driving due to health issues.
Researchers studied drivers 65 and older as they renewed their driver's licenses between November 2006 and December 2007.
Most of the drivers involved in the study reported that they have at least some type of impairment. As the degree of impairments increased with drivers, the more they limited their driving.
Accident Fatality Rates for Senior Drivers
When compared to middle-age drivers (ages 35 to 54), drivers 75 or older have a higher death rate per mile traveled. The death rates increase dramatically for drivers ages 80 or over, but that could be explained by the fact that these older drivers tend to be frailer.
It doesn't mean they are worse drivers than the other age groups. Older drivers are more likely to sustain a serious injury, especially to the chest or other medical complications.
Anne T. McCartt, senior vice president for research at the insurance institute, was quoted in a New York Times article as saying, "It's not what people had expected to see. There were some studies, including our own research that had predicted older driver crashes would become a bigger and bigger problem."
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that older drivers are mainly a danger to themselves. According to researchers, 75 percent of people who die in accidents involving older drivers are the actual drivers themselves or their older passengers.
If you’ve been seriously injured in a car crash caused by a senior driver, contacting a Boston vehicle accident attorney at the Kiley Law Group is in your best interest.
Call today for a Free Consultation: 1-888-208-1695.
