- Currently, motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among those 65-74 years old and are the second leading cause (after falls) among those 75-84 years old.
- Motor vehicle rates of fatal motor vehicle crashes per mile driven begins to increase at around 70 years of age and is greatest for drivers 85 years and older. (Medscape)
- In 2017, almost 7,700 older adults (aged 65+) were killed in motor vehicle crashes, and more than 257,000 were treated in emergency departments for motor vehicle crash injuries. This means that each day, approximately 20 older adults are killed, and an additional 700 are injured in motor vehicle crashes. (CDC)
- Older adult drivers are more than twice as likely to report having a medical problem that makes it difficult to travel, compared with drivers aged 24-64. (CDC)
- Four in five older adults take one or more medications daily, some of which cause side effects and impact the ability to concentrate and drive safely. (CDC)
- Older drivers, particularly those aged 75+, have higher crash death rates than middle-aged drivers (aged 35-54). Higher crash death rates among this age group are primarily due to increased vulnerability to injury in a crash.