Your Driving :: Risks to Senior Drivers
While seniors may have the most experience on the road, they are also the ones most likely to be hurt in a crash. The most common factors in crashes involving senior drivers are:
- Failure to yield right-of-way
- Improper left turns
- Confusion in heavy traffic
- Inattention
- Backing up into a vehicle
- Failure to maintain proper speed
- Hesitation in responding to new traffic signs, signals, road markings, traffic patterns and roadway designs
Seniors are also the most likely to die in a crash because of increasing fragility with age. An analysis of driving fatalities found that senior drivers are most likely to die in crashes that happen:
- On weekdays
- During daylight hours
- With a second vehicle involved
- With a younger driver striking the senior driver
- With both vehicles proceeding straight or making a left turn at the same time
- Ask a trusted friend or family member to monitor your driving
- Take the Self-Assessment test!
