Seniors over the age of 70 have long been associated with unsafe driving, with death rates steadily increasing as more elderly hit the road. At least that's what we thought. A new study by IIHS shows that the death rate of elderly drivers has declined by 21% between 1997 and 2006. The decline was far greater than it was with any other age group, which is even more amazing when considering the fact that elderly drivers increased by 10% during that time. Time behind the wheel has increased as well, with seniors logging far more miles than they have in the past. Some reasons for the decline include healthier, more fit seniors and safer drivers. State governments have also been more diligent in getting unfit seniors off the road with regular skills tests. One study shows that seniors are increasingly aware of the dangers of driving, and limiting drive time at night and on the interstate.
Contrary to the findings of the Japanese Metropolitan Police, a new study has just been released in Britain which suggests that older drivers are not dangerous on the roads. The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) data shows that older drivers actually become less of a risk than drivers under the age of thirty. Unfortunately, though, drivers over the age of seventy are more likely to be seriously injured when they do get into an accident. Neil Greig, director of the IAM Motoring Trust suggests that older drivers self-regulate themselves as they realize their abilities are weakening.
Still, the U.K. requires drivers over seventy to renew their licenses every three years, but it's up to the driver to report any physical conditions that could impair their driving. The U.K. government is considering adding new testing requirements for drivers over the age of seventy-five.
In other news, ninety-one percent of teen drivers consider themselves safe, though only 34-percent would say the same for their friends. Feel free to scare yourself by reading an entire press release of teen-driving statistics after the break.
Jack Higgs of Penarth, England, is 93. He has been driving for 76 years, and has never gotten a ticket. He never even had a single accident since learning to drive at age 17. That flawless streak came to an end, however, on Monday, when Mr. Higgs totaled two cars and badly damaged a third. Mr. Higgs swears he'll never drive again.
A former Pentecostal minister, Higgs was backing up his 13-year-old Ford Fiesta at a local Porsche dealership when he inexplicably lost control and found himself hanging upside down by his seat belt in his overturned car. At 93, Higgs managed to get himself out of the wreck unassisted and, after being checked over by the paramedics, walked away from the scene unscratched. You'd think the owners of the dealership would be livid, but their concern was mostly for Higgs' wellbeing. The nonagenarian, who attributed his good fortune to prayer and God, had been driving through the dealership's front lot for years without incident to get to his garage, was known to everyone at the dealership, and even offered to help clean up the mess. Somehow we doubt Mr. Higgs will have trouble finding someone to give him the occasional lift.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police have begun a campaign urging elderly drivers to "have the courage to give up your license," according to a message on its website. This effort is in response to the mounting accident rates of Japan's rapidly aging population. Over the past six years, the overall number of accidents has declined in Japan by 20 percent while accidents involving drivers over the age of 70 have skyrocketed by 35 percent. Elderly drivers are being offered various discounts and perks from over 30 different businesses if they are willing to relinquish their licenses.
We can't count the number of times we've heard someone complain about elderly drivers, and if they are willing to hand in their keys or feel as if they may be a hazard, this could be a winning solution. On the other hand, this movement could present an additional problem to the already sagging auto market in Japan, as older drivers make up a large chunk of new car buyers.
Much like the automotive crash test industry utilizes "dummies" of different statures and body weights to simulate different passenger types, Nissan engineers have developed a special suit to "simulate" the elderly. Nissan went to all this trouble because it anticipates that Baby Boomers will soon command a larger share of automotive sales. It's a preemptive plan to design vehicles that accommodate their needs. Well, some of them, as we don't expect in-dash prune juice dispensers anytime soon.
This innovative suit is comprised of several different components that are each designed to restrict physical movement or reduce vision (interestingly enough, donning the suit does not make the wearer crave early bird specials or migrate to Palm Springs). Dark colored glasses simulate the poor vision and gloves simulate reduced dexterity. Casts on on the body also weigh down the wearer's limbs to simulate arthritic pain. Our favorite is the big thick waist belt designed to simulate the "middle aged spread."
