Just the Facts, Ma'am
What percent of licensed senior drivers are involved in an accident that involves a fatality?
A. 1 percent
B. 6 percent
C. 16 percent
C. 16 percent (not per year, but over the course of their driving experience as seniors)
True or false: If I haven't been cited or convicted for unsafe driving for any reason, it's my choice and mine alone about whether to continue driving.
False (mostly). Most older adults who stop driving do so by choice, or at the recommendation of a physician or a loved one. However, there is a mechanism that can be used: If appropriate and necessary evaluations and recommendations have been made and no amount of discussion can convince the senior to give up the keys, you, a family physician, or a police officer can file an “unsafe driver” report to the state’s DMV.
True or false:
It's safer to drive myself than to take a bus or other public transportation.
False. Public transportation is one of the safest ways to travel. It is ten times safer per mile than traveling by car because it has less than a tenth the per-mile traffic casualty (injury or death) rate as automobile travel.
Many older adults identify preserving their independence as their key concern when considering changes in their driving habits.
How have your driving habits changed?
What experiences have you had that have affected your decisions about driving?
What are you doing to make driving safer?
What concerns do you have about driving yourself, or about others in your life?
Let's talk!
True or false: Across all age groups, women have substantially higher crash death rates than men.
False: Men have much higher crash death rates than women.
Why? Across all ages, not just young males.
Higher risk-taking -- more likely to speed.
More likely to drive under the influence of alcohol or other substances.
Generally higher confidence or overestimate abilities. More likely to drive while sleepy, for example.
Aggression may be another factor.
Which of these is the most common cause of accidents for drivers over 70?
Misjudging distance from another car or cars
Looking but not seeing or failing to look.
Misjudging speed of another car or cars.
- In a nationally representative study of serious U.S. crashes, the most frequent error made by crash-involved drivers ages 70 and older was inadequate surveillance, which included looking but not seeing and failing to look (Cicchino & McCartt, 2015). The other two answers, misjudging distance and speed, were the next two most common reasons for crashes.
Taking a bus every day instead of owning a car and driving saves, on average:
A. $189/month
B. $363/month
C. $847/month
C. $847/month
Individuals who ride public transportation instead of owning a car and driving can save, on average, more than $847 per month. “These savings are based on the cost of commuting by public transportation compared to the cost of owning and driving a vehicle.
According to senior driver statistics, more than 70% of all crash fatalities happen during this part of the day?
What is daytime, or when it's light out?
True or false:
Driving less will reduce my risk of accidents.
True AND false:
Statistically, of course, people who are on the road less will be involved in fewer accidents. BUT, after a certain point, reduced driving hours is correllated with a higher rate of accidents. Why? Because the driver is out of practice.
True or false: Training in driving skills isn't useful for people over 60. They already know what they need to know. Or they have physical limitations that driving won't help.
False: While it is true that driving skill alone cannot make up for physical limitations such as worsening eyesight or reaction time, numerous studies have found that driver skills courses can help reduce accidents for older drivers. It isn't known, however, whether this is due to improved knowledge and skills on the road, or is a placebo effect -- that is, whether the simple fact of being informed about course results in enhanced awareness of safety issues. This is because the control groups, who didn't receive the training, but were only asked about driver safety, still showed some improvement.
The older the senior driving, the more likely they are to cause, or be involved in, an accident.
TRUE. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 67% of all senior drivers will be involved at some point in an accident.
True or false:
Regular physical activity can play an important role in maintaining my ability to drive safely.
You knew it was going to be true!
Factors such as range of motion and mental alertness play a significant role in accident risk. And both of these can be maintained or improved through physical activity.
True or false: The physical features of my car become more important as I age.
True: According to the AAA, Car ergonomics -- that is, how the physical design and features of the car fit your body definitely become more important as we age. For example, if you have some neuropathy Diabetic neuropathy (numbness or tingling) in the legs, feet or toes, Adjustable brake pedals can make a difference by allowing drivers to comfortably reach pedals without having to scoot down and compromise visibility.
https://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Smart-Features-for-Older-Drivers-Brochure.pdf
True or false: Transportation options for non-drivers have increased in the past 10 years.
True! In addition to ride sharing options like Uber and Lyft, there are now many medical transport options. The available delivery options for grocery, restaurant meals and other necessities have also exploded in recent years. We'll share information about ride clearinghouses and other transportation options in our recap.