Elderly Driver Safety Issues

Elderly drivers have higher accident rates than other age groups and are considerably more vulnerable to injury. Driving at an advanced age carries added risks due to limitations to perceptional, physical, and cognitive functioning. Specific medical conditions and the use of some medications can also increase the risk of accidents. The increase in the number of older drivers poses ethical questions at the level of public policy, as the objective of ensuring road safety must be balanced with the need to provide older people with the means to have independent mobility, which is linked to life satisfaction in this age group. Regulations regarding driving license renewal and assessment of driving ability are in effect in most countries. However, policies have also been designed to promote the inclusion of drivers in a safe road environment, through education and training. Developments in vehicle and road design may also contribute to ensure the safety of older drivers.

As a result of the increase in life expectancy and decline in birth rates, a large proportion of the population in developed countries is of an advanced age. General improvements in health and income also mean that more elderly people are now driving, both in absolute numbers and as a proportion of all drivers, while sociocultural changes have led to an increase to the proportion of older women drivers. In most countries the accident rate of elderly drivers is relatively high but lower than the rate of the youngest drivers (aged 16–24). In addition, because older people drive less than younger drivers, they are responsible for a smaller number of accidents. Nevertheless, elderly drivers are a special group of concern in terms of road safety because they are more vulnerable to injuries. In fact, the probability of long-term disability and mortality tends to be much higher for older drivers involved in car [Page 467]accidents than for younger drivers, mainly because of their frailty. Safety issues are especially relevant for the older elderly (over age 75).

The cause of accidents involving elderly drivers tends to be specific to this age group. A large proportion of accidents can be explained by errors and lapses, such as failure to stop at red lights and stop signs, to give or yield right-of-way, and to respect other road signs. Other common causes are vehicle maneuvers in dangerous or confusing road environments such as sinuous road alignments, multilane roads, and complex intersections.

On the other hand, statistics and surveys show that older drivers adapt their driving patterns to compensate for some of the limitations they face. This includes driving slower, allowing wider gaps for merging with traffic, and avoiding driving in complex road environments, at night, under poor meteorological conditions, and on roads in poor state of repair or with wet and icy surfaces. Factors causing accidents in other age groups, such as excessive speed and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, are relatively less important in the group of older adults.