Last week, an elderly woman crashed her car into Wollaston T station, and pinned a man against a wall. The Boston Globe reports that the woman drove into the parking lot from Woodbine Street. Initial reports indicate that she may have had some kind of medical emergency. Her car struck a 57-year-old man and pinned him to a wall. No information has been released about the extent of his injuries. Sadly, the driver, Mary Mullane, died after the crash.
Elderly Driver Safety
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that there were 35 million licensed older drivers in 2011. That number represents a 21 percent increase from 2002. In fact, the total number of licensed drivers of all ages has only increased by nine percent from 2002 to 2011. They also note that the population of people age 65 and older is going to reach 70 million in the next 20 years. With the aging baby boomer population, drivers can expect to see an even greater increase in older drivers on the road over the next few years.
NHTSA Elderly Driving Facts for 2011 • 17 percent of all traffic-crash related deaths were among people age 65 and older.
• 5,401 people age 65 and older were killed in traffic crashes.
• 185,000 people age 65 and older were injured in crashes.
• People age 65 and older made up eight percent of all injured individuals in traffic crashes.
• Crash fatalities declined by 16 percent from 2002 to 2011.
• 77 percent of traffic fatalities involving older drivers occurred during the daytime.
The Talk Driving abilities can be a difficult subject for family members to broach with their elderly loved ones. For many older adults, driving means independence. It’s important to understand that older drivers may have a hard time relinquishing their keys. If you’re not sure where to start, the NHTSA has ten questions to ask before speaking with an older driver about their driving abilities.
Ten Questions for Older Driver Safety 1. Has he or she had a moving violation recently?
2. Have there been any near misses or crashes lately?
3. Does he or she get lost on familiar routes?
4. Are there new dents or scratches on his or her car?
5. Does he or she seem overwhelmed by traffic signs or signals?
6. Does he or she suffer from dementia, glaucoma, cataracts, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, diabetes or other illnesses that might affect driving abilities?
7. Does he or she stop inappropriately?
8. Is he or she taking any medications that might affect driving abilities?
9. Has a doctor advised him or her to limit or stop driving due to health reasons?
10. Does he or she drive too slowly for traffic?
If you can answer yes to any of the above questions about your senior driver, it’s time to have the talk. It’s important to be prepared with observations and questions. Nobody wants to put others on the road at risk. It may be helpful to ask your senior driver about his or her safety concerns too. It’s also a good idea to provide alternative means of transportation. Older drivers don’t want to hurt anybody on the road, but they also want to remain independent. If you’ve been injured by an elderly driver, contact an experienced Boston car accident attorney as soon as possible.
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