Elderly Drivers and Auto Accidents in Lombard

 Posted on May 19, 2018 in Personal Injury

How often are elderly drivers involved in auto accidents in DuPage County? And are older drivers more often the cause of serious traffic collisions than younger adult drivers? According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 2015 there were approximately 40 million drivers on the road aged 65 and older across the United States. While the CDC emphasizes that retaining a driver’s license can help a senior to “stay independent and mobile,” there are also downsides. To be sure, the risk of being hurt or killed in a motor vehicle crash increases as you get older.

What should Lombard drivers know about aging and age-related car accident risks?

Getting the Facts About Older Adults and Traffic Collisions

The CDC provides facts and figures about older adults and traffic collisions, including the following:

• More than 6,800 seniors sustained fatal injuries in auto accidents in the U.S. in 2015;
• More than 260,000 older adult drivers sustained injuries in motor vehicle crashes that required treatment in emergency departments;
• On average, each day, 19 elderly drivers are killed in car accidents while 712 are injured;
• Total number of older drivers on the road increased by about 50 percent from 1999 to 2015, and given that the population of seniors is increasing, that number is only likely to grow;
• Drivers aged 85 and older are at the highest risk of a fatal traffic collision, but the risk of a deadly accident begins increasing for drivers between the ages of 70-74;
• Older male drivers have a higher rate of fatal crashes than female drivers; and
• Older adults’ driving abilities are affected by “age-related declines in vision and cognitive functioning . . . as well as physical changes.”

Steps to Prevent Elderly Driving Accidents

What steps can seniors take to stay safe behind the wheel? The CDC recommends the following:

• Engage in regular exercise to increase your strength and flexibility;
• Review your medications with your doctor and your pharmacist to ensure that your prescription drugs do not have side effects that could impair your driving ability;
• Get your eyes checked by a doctor at least once every year, and wear glasses if you require corrective lenses;
• Only drive during daylight hours;
• Avoid inclement driving conditions;
• Find a safe route that has well-lit streets, intersections that have left-turn arrows (and not just yield-on-green lights), and easy places to park;
• Plan out your route before you get into your car;
• Always leave a lengthy following distance between your vehicle and the car in front of you;
• Do not listen to loud music, talk on your phone, eat, or engage in any other distracting behaviors when you are behind the wheel; and
• If possible, consider alternatives to driving.

Seek Advice from a Lombard Auto Accident Lawyer

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is currently conducting research on older drivers and risk factors for auto accidents known as the Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) Study. The researchers hope to gather information about elderly driving dangers and to assess the ways in which age-related issues impact drivers.

In the meantime, if you need help filing an auto accident claim, an experienced DuPage County car accident attorney can assist you. Contact Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices for more information about the services we provide to clients throughout the area.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/older_adult_drivers/index.html

http://aaafoundation.org/longitudinal-research-aging-drivers-longroad-study-understanding-design-methods/