Elderly Related Car Accidents

With an aging baby-boomer population, we can expect a growing elderly driver population. Along with more and more older drivers on the roadways, we can expect to see a few more crashes too. It’s no secret that age-related cognitive, physical and vision deterioration contributes to wrecks involving elderly drivers in Jackson and around the country. Family members may be deliberating over whether or not it’s time to ‘have the talk.’ If you think it’s time, it probably is, and it could save somebody’s life. Although driving means independence for most elderly drivers, it’s not worth getting somebody killed. If an elderly driver has injured you, you need to contact a skilled personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to get the ball rolling on your case.

Elder Driver Facts

• In 2011, there were 35 million licensed older drivers in the U.S., which was a 21-percent increase from 2002.
• In contrast, the total number of licensed drivers only increased by about 9 percent during that time.
• Older drivers made up 16 percent of all licensed drivers in 2011, compared with 15 percent in 2002.
• In 2012, 17 percent of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. were among people ages 65 and older.
• In 2012, most traffic fatalities involving older drivers occurred during the daytime.

Deteriorating Physical Health

Although you might not think of driving as a particularly physically demanding task, it does require a relatively able body. Elderly drivers have to contend with deteriorating physical health, which could include arthritis, neurological changes, musculoskeletal issues, cardiovascular problems or any host of other age-related health changes. It’s also not uncommon to hear of an elderly driver’s medical emergency being cause for a wreck. In many cases, the driver or family member will be aware of the health risks, so it’s important to get to the bottom of exactly how your accident happened.