Senior citizens have the most fatal and incapacitating car accidents as well as the most crashes per mile they drive, according to MSN Money’s “For seniors, wrecks are more severe.” While older drivers are quick to point out that their competence behind the wheel should be the important factor in how long they should drive rather than their age, statistics show that older drivers are involved in the worst crashes. Researchers are hoping to find a way to keep older drivers safer on the road to reduce the number and severity of car accidents. Since they don’t drive nearly as much as younger drivers, they aren’t causing the most accidents. But when you look at the accidents per mile they drive, that is the shocking statistic.
Allied auto insurance and other car insurers are interested in this research about senior drivers because a higher and more severe accident rate means money to car insurance companies. Almost half of the seniors interviewed said that they drive almost every day. They are driving fewer miles overall and less than half of the seniors drive at night or on the highways. They reported having trouble judging the speed of oncoming traffic, which explains a high instance of left-turn crashes in senior drivers. Some recommended steps to help older drivers are to install more left-turn arrows at busy intersections, increase the size and font of road signs, and look into the driver’s license renewal process. It might benefit many drivers to include a mandatory education course every so often.
