Anyone, of any age, can be injured or killed in a crash on the roads. Yet statistics show significant differences between age groups. They show that “Drivers aged 70+ have higher crash death rates per 1,000 crashes than middle-aged drivers (aged 35-54).”
A person’s body at the age of 70 or 80 won’t be as resilient as it was when they were in their 20s and 30s. Bones become more brittle with old age, and the body becomes slower to heal and less able to fight infection than it once would have been. An impact a person might have walked away from when younger could leave them dead or seriously injured in their 70s or 80s.
Older drivers face a double risk
Not only do older drivers typically suffer worse consequences in a collision, but the bodily changes they’ve experienced can also increase the risk of a crash in the first place. These include:
- Eyesight: Your eyes don’t work as well when you get past a certain age. This can make seeing other road users, hazards and signs more difficult. Low light or darkness will exacerbate things further.
- Mental sharpness: Many people find their minds are not as quick as they once were. Decisions often have to be made fast when driving, and a slight delay could mean a crash occurs that would once have been avoided.
- Strength: People lose strength in their later years. That could make them less effective at operating the brake pedal or turning the wheel in an emergency. This reduces their chance of taking evasive action.
Working out what happened and who must pay compensation to whom can often be complex in crashes involving older drivers. Promptly seeking legal guidance is wise, whichever side of the equation you are on.
