Older drivers are much more likely to die in intersection crashes, and with each passing year, the simple task of making a left turn becomes more challenging, according to a report released this week.
In 2009, 5,288 people 65 and older were killed and 187,000 were injured in traffic crashes. They accounted for 16 percent of all traffic deaths and 8 percent of the injured, but they accounted for 13 percent of the population, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The new report, from the nonprofit research group TRIP, said the number of deaths among people 65 and older grew to 5,750 in 2010 even as NHTSA’s data showed that overall traffic deaths hit a record low.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said crash deaths per mile traveled begin to increase markedly after age 75 with deterioration in vision and the ability to reason and remember, as well as physical challenges such as arthritis and reduced strength.
The TRIP report, released in partnership with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, said intersections were particularly troubling to older drivers.
It cited NHTSA data that showed that in 2010, 37 percent of all fatal crashes involving a driver 65 or older involved an intersection. Among younger drivers, only 20 percent involved an intersection.
The report said older drivers will be helped by more clear, simple and brighter road signs; better street lighting; wider traffic lanes; longer merge and exit lanes; rumble strips; and additional left-turn lanes.
Innovations now being introduced in vehicles also will help older drivers, including lane-change warnings and devices that sound alarms when something is too close in front or back of a vehicle.
More robust transit options will help older drivers who are considering whether they should continue driving.
