Senior Drivers Safer Than Teens, According To Study

At the age of 97, Bill Keller has no need for a taxi service or public transportation -- he uses his car to get everywhere he needs to go. While he can’t turn his head like he used to, he told NBC’s "Today Show" that one of his biggest problems on the road is actually, “driv[ing] slowly. I love to drive fast.” In his 85 years of driving, Keller told NBC, he's only been involved in a fender-bender or two.

With a projected 15 million drivers older than 65 expected to be on America's roads by 2030, the concern around senior driving is picking up speed. But Keller is a part of a large group of elderly drivers who are driving more safely than their younger counterparts, according to a recent AAA report.

More than 30 million drivers are aged 65 or older in the U.S., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the number is expected to grow to 40 million by 2020. Although drivers in their 60s have the same car crash rate as drivers in their 30s, drivers in their mid-to-late 80s have a car crash rate sharply lower than teens and 20-somethings. Check out the video above for more.

The number of fatal senior driving accidents has declined more than 40 pecent in the last three decades, according to the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety, and technology to prevent senior car accidents is growing. Keller’s car, for instance, contains a “push to start ignition button,” which helps him drive safely, NBC noted. AAA recommends a number of safety features for elderly drivers, including a grip steering wheel for drivers with arthritis, controls that easily raise and lower the seat, big dashboard buttons, and a back-up camera.

Still, only nine out of 10 seniors driving are in cars that fit their aging needs, according to AAA, suggesting that there is room for senior driver safety to increase. The slideshow below lists 10 technologies that aid aging drivers, based on research from The Hartford And MIT AgeLab.

Earlier on Huff/Post50:

Loading Slideshow

• Smart Headlights

  Smart headlights allow drivers to adjust the range and strength of their headlights, reduce glare, and help drivers see well at night, according to the Harford and MIT AgeLab.

• Emergency Response Systems

  An emergency response system inside a car allows medical personnel to get to collision scenes quickly, according to research from the Hartford and MIT AgeLab.

• Reverse Monitoring

  Cars with reverse monitoring allows drivers to judge distances accurately, warns them of surrounding objects and helps them back up safely, the Hartford and MIT AgeLab found.

• Blind Spot Warning Systems

  A blind spot warning system alerts drivers to objects and vehicles in their blind spots, aiding with lane changes and parking, the Hartford and MIT AgeLab found.

• Lane Departure Warning

  Cars that feature a lane departure warning can keep track of a drivers place in their lane and warns them if they are drifting outside of their lane, according to research from the Hartford and MIT AgeLab.

• Vehicle Stability Control

  Vehicle stability control features help cars stay stable when driving around tough angles or in dangerous weather, which could prove critical for senior drivers, according to the Hartford and MIT AgeLab.

• Assistive Parking Systems

  The assistive parking system informs drivers of their distance to surrounding cars, making parking both safer and easier for senior drivers, research from the Hartford and AgeLab found.

• Voice-Activated Systems

  A voice-activated system allows drivers to access car features by voice, so that senior drivers do not have to move their hands or take their eyes off the road, according to the Hartford and MIT AgeLab.

• Crash Mitigation Systems

  A crash mitigation system uses safety features to reduce driver injuries when a vehicle is involved in a collision or other dangerous situations, the Hartford and MIT AgeLab found.

• Drowsy Driver Alerts

  Drowsy driver alerts inform drivers of when they are being inattentive, to reduce risk of falling asleep at the wheel, the Hartford and MIT AgeLab found.

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Comments

[Rodrigo Gerijoy]

08:44 PM on 02/27/2013

This is a good article. Senior citizens are without a doubt more careful than teens and this is only due to the fact that they are smarter and have more experience in everything. When senior citizens or other people need help, they can now recur to some virtual companions, as these are very useful and are proven to help.
GeriJoy is an MIT and Blueprint Health affiliated company that has been recognized by organizations such as AARP as one of the most innovative companies in senior care. The GeriJoy Companion brings joy to families by providing companionship for seniors to improve mental health, and by reporting back to family caregivers to provide peace of mind.
Please visit www.gerijoy.com for more information.

[thinkingwomanmillstone]

03:38 PM on 12/08/2012

My mother-in-law at 87 still has her driver's license. She also has Alzheimer's. There is nothing to legally prevent her from driving. That is wrong.

[IdleCrumble]

10:01 AM on 12/07/2012

This doesn't take into account the number of accidents extremely old drivers cause without being in themselves. I can't count the number of times I've had an elderly driver simply drift through my right-of-way without raising an eyebrow, or pull out in front of me and force me to jam on my brakes. 90% of the time when someone is drifting about the road like a drunk in broad daylight, it's an old person. Fortunately, I live in an area where traffic is pretty sparse, so my evasive actions have never caused accidents.

I can really only think of one time where I had to evade an accident with a teenager. Other than old people, my close calls are always from suburban parents in oversized SUVs and vans that are more concerned with their cell phones and their brats than the road.

[PaulRevereHere]

08:40 AM on 12/07/2012

True, however they are #2 behind drunk drivers in causing accidents.(but not getting involved themselves) Most accidents are caused by the difference in road speeds at any given time. Driving in the left lane(illegal-it is a passing lane) at speeds of 5-15 MPH under the speed limit causes drivers to make sometimes violent, ill-advised lane changes and other manuvers that get THEM into accidents. (AAA)

[glennet]

04:41 AM on 12/09/2012

If drivers can't cope with others driving slowly they shouldn't be on the road. Nobody is forced to make violent ill-advised lane changes, they are either not paying attention or recklessly impatient.

[bigdog57]

07:23 AM on 12/07/2012

Richard Pryor said, "Ya don't get to be old bein stupid". That said, drivers licenses in this country are like marriage licenses & credit cards. Way too easy to get.

[SuzyScorp]

03:26 AM on 12/07/2012

I got my license when I was 17, and next year I'm turning 50. I'm not close to being in my 80's; I have no idea what I'll be like then. What I do know is when I was a teen, I thought differently behind the wheel. I took more "close call" chances back then, than at any other time in my driving history. I haven't been in a fender bender in over 20 years, knock on wood! lol. I think I could say I was an arrogant, rude and horrible driver. Not to say that now, I'm a perfect driver b/c I will never be perfect. I sometimes get road rage, and certain things about other drivers can drive me nuts on the road, but other than that, I'm just using a mode of transportation to get from point A to point B in the easiest and most convenient way.. I didn't say pleasant... lol

[talari]

01:58 AM on 12/07/2012

Rocket Science is alive and well. If I drove drunk and blindfolded I'd be safer than any teen.

[TJJ1030]

10:53 PM on 12/06/2012

Hey, its more fun to fly the older taildragger planes than drive a car any day of the week. I find my reflexs are better in the air than on the ground. Its more dangerous driving to the airport than cranking the plane up and heading skyward.

[liza-jane]

10:12 PM on 12/06/2012

This is horse manure!! The older causes just as many accidents as the younger!! Their motor skills are not what they were when they were younger and they know that!! They don't look half the time to change lanes and when they do the car is in their blind spot and continue to cross on over to other lane! They make just as many mistakes as the younger one's if not more. Yes they may not go as fast but they sure go alot slower to the point to where even the younger has to change lanes and tht is just about the time the older is changing lanes.
they may ot text but they sure talk to themselves as if someone else was in the car with them! So many of them are on medications and so are the young one's, so there you have it
it all equals out about just the same, so leave it be. Young or old everyone has to go somewhere and it consists of driving regardless of the age!! Go Granny go!!

[mhammer491]

08:49 PM on 12/06/2012

It is obvious why older drivers are safer. They do not tend to drive as fast, do not make sudden manuvers in and out of traffic, do not change lanes constantly in an attempt to be the first one going nowhere, and they are usually not in a hurry, because we have already been to most of the destinations, and found that they really weren't all that interesting in the first place.

Now, the young 18 to 20 somethings, especially the young girls, are always in a hurry, are usually talking on a cell phone to someone about nothin, and think that they can drive like Danica Patrick. They will learn.

[ltl4386]

02:40 AM on 12/07/2012

Very misleading article. The most dangerous drivers for tickets and accidents are the new drivers between ages of 16 and 19. Older drivers have higher rates of fatal crashes, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. A Carnegie Mellon University study, the fatality rate for drivers 85 and over is four times higher than it is for teenagers. Two examples, 86-year-old man drove his car into a crowded farmers’ market in CA, killing 10 people, caused injuries to many more people, and over $1M in property damage. In FL - the state with the largest per capita elderly population - over 80 senior drivers plowed into businesses, houses, cars and people resulting in fatalities. All drivers had passed written and visual tests. None fell asleep at the wheel, had been drinking, or taking strong medications. In every case, the elderly driver told police they confused the gas and brake pedals. The 86-year-old man who drove his car through the farmers’ market in CA? His auto insurance company paid nothing in liability or damage costs. Why? Because he chose to go to court for a trial, hoping it to be ruled an accident. But the court found him guilty and therefore a crime. He had recently had foot surgery, was wearing a foot boot, and was told by his Dr. he was not allowed to drive for safety reasons. HE chose to ignore his Dr. Because it was ruled a crime, no insurance policy will cover any damages.

[ltl4386]

02:49 AM on 12/07/2012

BTW, i'm over 50, my parents are mid-eighties. we're now having the fight to give up the keys for safety reasons that they swore they would never argue with. I do live nearby and already do about 60% of the driving. The other 40% I either am holding on, or hoping they get back alive.

[MissBee15]

07:39 PM on 12/06/2012

Are you kidding me?!? I almost got killed by a drunk 87 year old. But then again, I almost got killed by a texting teen.

[tischaw]

07:01 PM on 12/06/2012

I live in a big city yet I've been driving 50 years without ticket/accident. I've learned the importance of being patient with others (especially when they weave in & out of traffic and cut in front of me without using a turn signal).

When I am on a highway that isn't congested, I set my cruise control exactly on the speed limit and, thus, I can relax while driving because I know I won't be pulled over for speeding.

There is no set age for when a person should stop driving, but I'm sure my boys will tell me when my skills are no longer good enough. Then, I'll do the right thing and surrender my license.

[robth3blogger2]

06:11 PM on 12/06/2012

It's difficult to cause an accident when they're only going 20 mph.

[dgcajun101]

09:20 PM on 12/06/2012

only if they are holding up traffic and someone gets mad enough to try to pass them so they can get to work on time!!! of course if you look at a paper in southern mo. you will find a lot of oldsters who have killed by pulling out in front of someone because they can't see or they cross center line for what ever reason. I have known a couple that had heart attacks at the wheel and were in mid to late 60's. of course there have been the odd few women who bashed their cars around in a parking lot due to backing up fast until they hit something or if you saw them coming you had better hit a side road because they were following the left hand ditch!!!!!

[HSC55]

03:05 PM on 12/06/2012

Of course! Experience counts for quite a bit of us oldsters being safer drivers. This should be not be a surprise.

[Yorksgal]

12:41 PM on 12/06/2012

You don't need an expensive blind spot warning system - just put a couple of convex blind spot mirrors on your outside mirrors - cheap, safe and reliable.