Last Updated: November 09. 2010 3:52PM
National forum focuses on elderly driver safety
David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau
Washington— The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board says the government needs to work to reduce deaths and injuries among the nation's growing population of elderly drivers.
NTSB Chair Debbie Hersman convened a two-day meeting Tuesday in Washington to address the fact that as America is aging, so are its drivers.
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She said the goal is to "discuss possible strategies to prevent and reduce accidents, injuries and fatalities within this growing population."
The summit comes as more elderly drivers are holding onto their licenses longer, and account for nearly 20 percent of all motorists. One in five licensed drivers will be 65 or older by 2025, and will nearly double, to 57 million, in 2030, according to a Government Accountability Office.
"The good news is that the number of drivers age 70 and older involved in fatal crashes has decreased in the past decade, by 20 percent, even though the number of licensed drivers in this age group and the miles logged increased," Hersman said.
"Despite these encouraging numbers, we also know that, when there is an accident, it is the older driver who is more likely to be killed or seriously injured. They simply don't fare as well as younger drivers."
A driver older than 70, for example, is three times as likely as one 35-54 to sustain a fatal injury in a crash, but that's down from 3.5 times in 1997.
Federal officials and researchers say older drivers are at far greater risk of chest injuries in car crashes.
Among the social and policy issues faced by the graying of America's drivers is helping them determine when they should hang up their car keys. Many elderly Americans don't have access to mass transit.
According to research presented Tuesday, the average male driver lives six years longer than he can safely drive, while the average female driver drives 10 years beyond that.
"Whether we are the older driver deciding whether or not to set the keys aside, or that older driver's family or community, we are all responsible for making sure that, no matter what your age or destination, everyone arrives safely," she said.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has reported that the nation's senior citizens are getting into fewer serious car accidents and more are holding onto their licenses.
Fatal crashes per licensed driver over age 70 fell 37 percent from 1997 to 2008. Among younger drivers, meanwhile, fatal accidents dropped 23 percent.
The most dramatic decline was among drivers over 80: The number of fatal crashes declined by nearly half in that age group.
One factor in the reduction is that older people typically drive fewer miles than younger drivers. Studies have found a much higher fatality rate per mile traveled for older drivers.
During the past decade, in the wake of high-profile incidents, the nation's graying population raised fears of more senior citizens dying or causing fatal accidents.
In 2003, for example, an 86-year-old man lost control of his car, killing 10 and injuring more than 70 as he crashed into a farmers market in California.
At least 26 states set special provisions for seniors, such as requiring vision tests, shortening renewal periods or banning renewal by mail.
New Hampshire and Illinois require a new road test after 75.
Michigan has no special licensing requirements for senior citizen drivers.
Older drivers face special hurdles: As people age, eyesight diminishes, especially at night. Older people have more trouble turning their necks from left to right to check traffic.
Studies have also shown that states can make it easier for seniors and others. "Michigan lefts" — or indirect left turns after an intersection on major roads, such as Telegraph or Woodward in Metro Detroit — dramatically decrease accidents among elderly drivers.
At age 80, a driver's risk of having an intersection crash increases substantially. For drivers over 80, 58 percent of crashes were in intersections, versus 37 percent for drivers ages 70-79, a 2007 study found.
From The Detroit News:
http://detnews.com/article/20101109/AUTO01/11090389/National-forum-focuses-on-elderly-driver-safety#ixzz15KUFqLiO
