When Driving Becomes a Health Risk

According to a new study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, drivers age 70 and older are at least four times more likely to be killed or hospitalized in a car accident than drivers aged 30 to 39. In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that in just 20 years, as estimated one in four drivers will be over age 65.

"As the driving population ages, this is going to be a serious public health problem," says lead study author Lawrence J. Cook, a statistician with the Intermountain Injury Control Research Center in Salt Lake City. Some states have started to consider "graduated licenses" with the purpose of restricting when and where an elderly person can drive. These licenses would prohibit such activities as driving at night and driving on freeways.

Cook, however, feels that the "graduated licenses" will not help much. He states that older drivers are already much less likely to have high-speed crashes, and they also tend to stay away from situations that make them feel uncomfortable, such as freeway driving or nighttime driving.

There are very few states that still mandate driving tests for older persons who want to keep their licenses. Kelly Dunn, spokesman for the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, states, "Age really is no longer an indicator of ability. Now there are people at 75 years old who are as active and fit as 40-year-olds."

"We don't have a silver bullet or a single policy that is going to solve this problem," says Julie Rochman, vice president of communications for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. She states that as you age, your reaction time deteriorates, as do your ability to see and hear.

"In an intersection, there is so much happening- cross traffic, pedestrians, lights changing, people running lights and jumping lights, lots of signs. It can be very difficult," says Rochman. She recommends a dedicated, or protected left-turn lane to help reduce danger. It is a studied fact that older drivers are twice as likely as young drivers to have an accident while making a left turn. Mr. Cook feels that this may be due to the cluttered landscape of signs, pedestrians, and oncoming cars. He suggests planning routes to frequent destinations that require only right-hand turns.