Although statistics show that teen drivers cause the most car accidents, older people are also to blame for many fatal crashes. People over the ages of 65 tend to struggle with driving in the same ways as very young people. There are a number of reasons why so many California accidents are linked to older drivers.
Facts about older driving
Older drivers contributed to about 59% of fatal U.S. car crashes in 2019. Each year, approximately 8,000 adults who are aged 65 and older are killed in vehicular accidents. Nearly 250,000 elderly drivers and passengers are sent to emergency rooms after serious crashes. Although accidents affect people of all ages, many crashes are linked to the advanced age of elderly drivers.
Reasons for increased accidents
Elderly drivers get into motor vehicle accidents because they suffer from advancing health problems. Many of them have poorer vision, slower reflexes and reduced cognitive abilities than younger drivers. It takes them several seconds longer to react fast enough to avoid accidents.
Elderly drivers with certain health conditions, such as arthritis or neurological disorders, are less capable of driving defensively. A small percentage of them are not advised to drive at all because of severely impaired vision.
The ongoing problem of older driving
Although driving skills improve with advanced age, a person’s driving efficiency decreases. Older drivers have slower reflexes and physical impairments that only worsen with age. They tend to drive slowly and cautiously but are not good at driving defensively. As a result, motorists in nearby vehicles might want to proceed with care.