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In 2018 there were 6,907 people 65 and older killed in traffic crashes in the United States, 19 percent of all traffic fatalities. Between 2017 and 2018 there was a 1-percent increase in the number of 65 and older killed in traffic crashes. For the purpose of this fact sheet “older” drivers, occupants and nonoccupants […]
This research brief used data from the AAA Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study to examine the role of driving comfort in the self-regulation of driving by older adults. Self-regulation is the process by which individuals modify or adjust their driving patterns by driving less, or intentionally avoiding situations considered challenging. The process of […]
Advances in the development of advanced vehicle technologies (AVTs), such as blind spot alerts, lane keep assist, lane alert, and adaptive cruise control, can benefit senior drivers by reducing exposure to hazards and compensating for diminished cognitive abilities sometimes seen in this population. However, the degree to which such benefits can be realized in this […]
Older drivers represent the highest injury and fatality rate per 100 million miles driven. The disproportionate fatality risk is linked to several known factors, ranging from failure to yield to cognitive and visual limitations to seat-belt use abstention to fragility. Through a series of focus groups, usability tests, and a controlled field test, a universally […]
The AAA LongROAD study is a multisite prospective cohort study of 2,990 drivers recruited from five study sites: Ann Arbor, Michigan; Baltimore, Maryland; Cooperstown, New York; Denver, Colorado; and San Diego, California. Inclusion in the study required participants to be between 65 and 79 years of age, hold a valid driver’s license and drive at […]
In 2017, there were 6,784 people age 65 and older killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes. Older people made up 18 percent of all traffic fatalities during the year. Compared to 2016, there was a 1-percent decrease in the number of fatalities in the older age group. In 2017, some 50.9 million people—over 16 percent […]
This research brief used data from the AAA Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study to examine self-reported and objectively derived measures of driving in an older population. Information about older adults’ driving exposure and patterns (i.e., when, where and under what conditions they drive) is important for several reasons. Such information contributes to a […]
This research brief utilized data from the AAA Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study to examine the amount and types of medications used by older drivers. Many medications – such as antihistamines, narcotic analgesics, central nervous system (CNS) drugs, muscle relaxants and tricyclic antidepressants – have been associated with increased crash risk. 1,2 We […]
The comparisons in this document are between those crashes that were caused by senior drivers (age 65 or older) compared to all other crashes. This enabled the characteristics for these crashes to surface so that traffic safety professionals can determine their magnitude and optimize senior driver safety programs to place emphasis on the most important […]
Today’s older Americans enjoy a level of mobility and an active lifestyle that far outpaces previous generations. Demographic trends indicate that the number and proportion of older Americans have increased dramatically in recent years and will continue to do so. The provision of transportation improvements that will make it easier for older American’s to maintain […]
