zelio
Elio Addict
This was in the Consumer Reports issue that included the article about the Elio. Another reason for Elio to achieve that 5 star safety rating. The bold highlight is mine. :-) Z
Study finds elderly drivers safer
A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates elderly drivers are less likely to get in -- or be injured in -- a car accident than prior generations.
The study looked at the driving records of U.S. motorists ages 70 or older since 1997. Among the findings: Older drivers are healthier and own safer vehicles.
Data from the Federal Highway Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System shows fatalities involving drivers age 70 and older have declined faster than automobile crash rates among drivers aged 35 to 54.
The study found during the last 15 years -- 1997-2012 -- fatal crash rates per licensed driver fell 42 percent for older drivers, and 30 percent for middle-age drivers.
The annual number of driving-related fatalities involving adults 70-74 decreased 36 percent during a period when the number of adults 70 and older rose 19 percent. In 2012, 4,079 people age 70 and older died in vehicle accidents, 31 percent fewer than in 1997.
The U.S. population of adults 70 and older is expected to more than double from 29 million to 64 million by 2050.
"This should help ease fears that aging baby boomers are a safety threat," said Anne McCartt, the Institute's senior vice president for research and a co-author of the study. "Even crashes among the oldest drivers have been on the downswing."
The Institute has been examining the safety of older drivers since 2008.
"Older drivers are not only less likely to crash in recent years, they also are sharing in the benefits of newer and safer vehicles," McCartt said. "It also helps that older people in general are more fit than in years past, with better access to emergency services and care."
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/20...ivers-safer/UPI-33911393756200/#ixzz2zN9Ga4gA
Study finds elderly drivers safer
A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates elderly drivers are less likely to get in -- or be injured in -- a car accident than prior generations.
The study looked at the driving records of U.S. motorists ages 70 or older since 1997. Among the findings: Older drivers are healthier and own safer vehicles.
Data from the Federal Highway Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System shows fatalities involving drivers age 70 and older have declined faster than automobile crash rates among drivers aged 35 to 54.
The study found during the last 15 years -- 1997-2012 -- fatal crash rates per licensed driver fell 42 percent for older drivers, and 30 percent for middle-age drivers.
The annual number of driving-related fatalities involving adults 70-74 decreased 36 percent during a period when the number of adults 70 and older rose 19 percent. In 2012, 4,079 people age 70 and older died in vehicle accidents, 31 percent fewer than in 1997.
The U.S. population of adults 70 and older is expected to more than double from 29 million to 64 million by 2050.
"This should help ease fears that aging baby boomers are a safety threat," said Anne McCartt, the Institute's senior vice president for research and a co-author of the study. "Even crashes among the oldest drivers have been on the downswing."
The Institute has been examining the safety of older drivers since 2008.
"Older drivers are not only less likely to crash in recent years, they also are sharing in the benefits of newer and safer vehicles," McCartt said. "It also helps that older people in general are more fit than in years past, with better access to emergency services and care."
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/20...ivers-safer/UPI-33911393756200/#ixzz2zN9Ga4gA
