Are older drivers riskier on the road? Not necessarily

Tamara E. Holmes

As drivers age, many must limit or relinquish their driving privileges because their reflexes and responses just aren’t what they used to be. Health, rather than age, is generally the culprit, experts say. In fact, a new study shows that older drivers outperform younger drivers in certain cases.

A study released by the American Society of Anesthesiologists found that older patients drove more safely than younger patients after surgery had been performed and anesthesia had been administered at an outpatient surgery center. In general, your coordination and reflexes may be impaired for at least 24 hours after undergoing anesthesia, making normal activities such as driving difficult.

Study researchers point out that with outpatient surgical procedures becoming more common, many patients who don’t have access to a ride may have to drive before the recommended 24-hour waiting period is up. In the course of testing 198 patients who underwent minor same-day surgery, researchers found that older drivers drove slower and were less likely to “weave” on the road after the use of anesthesia. The researchers concluded that older patients may be more sensitive to the anesthesia’s effects and, as a result, drive more cautiously after anesthesia than younger patients.

By 2020, more than 40 million licensed drivers 65 and older are expected to be behind the wheel in the United States.

“There are plenty of people who are safe driving at 85 and some people who at 70 are having difficulties,” says Jodi Olshevski, a gerontologist with The Hartford, an insurer that has a research partnership with MIT’s AgeLab. “It’s really not about age, it’s about ability.”

Aging drivers

Drivers 65 and over made up 15 percent of all licensed drivers in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. There were 32 million licensed older drivers that year, up 20 percent from 1999. By 2020, more than 40 million licensed drivers 65 and older are expected to be behind the wheel.

Although the number of older drivers on the road is higher, the number of traffic deaths involving older drivers has declined in recent years. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of people killed in crashes where an older driver was involved declined by 17 percent between 2000 and 2009. Since 2008, the number of people killed in crashes involving an older driver has decreased by 4 percent. However, the fatality rate for drivers 85 and older is nine times higher than that of drivers 25 to 69 years old, according to the American Medical Association.

When it comes to auto insurance rates, older drivers who have been in accidents naturally pay higher premiums, but some insurance companies consider older drivers more of a risk in general and increase their premiums accordingly. For example, a report by the Connecticut General Assembly found that Connecticut insurance companies do increase auto insurance premiums for older drivers as a whole.

However, seniors also may qualify for discounts. For example, Ohio drivers between ages 60 and 70 can qualify for a discount if they have a satisfactory driving record and pass an accident prevention course.

Changing habits

One reason for the decline in deaths among older drivers in recent years could be the fact that older drivers tend to change their driving habits to avoid uncomfortable situations. According to research by The Hartford and MIT’s AgeLab, 69 percent of people over 75 voluntarily limit their driving, by taking such steps as avoiding driving at night, in bad weather or in heavy traffic, Olshevski says.

When older drivers start to encounter difficulties on the road, the root cause often is an underlying health condition rather than age, Olshevski says. Eyes may begin to fail or the person may have difficulty concentrating, for example.

The best way to identify such problems is to ride in the car with an older motorist and look for patterns that show decreasing driving ability.

“It could be something like a decreased confidence while driving or (the person) becoming easily distracted,” Olshevski says.

Other warning signs include dents showing up on an older driver’s car, a driver having a hard time navigating turns or a driver failing to obey stop signs and red lights.

Another way to evaluate a senior’s driving ability is to have an occupational therapist evaluate it. The American Occupational Therapy Association provides a database of driving specialists by region.

A difficult conversation

If you do find that an older driver is experiencing difficulties, it’s important to prepare for a conversation about that person’s future on the road, says Julie Lee, vice president and director of the AARP Driver Safety Program.

Here are some tips:

• Find the best time and person to broach the subject. Choose a time when you can have a conversation that’s not rushed. Make sure the person who brings up the subject is someone the older person trusts.

• State the facts. Ride with the older driver and point out specifics that you’re concerned about. “Maybe the person is driving and didn’t come to a complete stop at a stop sign,” Lee says. If so, start the conversation there.

• Come up with options. Assemble a list of transportation alternatives for the person, such as public transportation, driving services, and rides from family and friends.

Even if it’s not necessary for an older driver to give up the keys, he or she may want to take a driver’s refresher course, such as the AARP Driver Safety Program. Many insurers offer discounts to drivers who complete such programs. For example, in New York state, the completion of certain driving improvement programs entitles a driver to a 10 percent reduction in liability, collision and no-fault premiums for three years. A course also may add years to a driver’s time on the road.

“We are proponents of keeping people on the road as long as possible, as long as they’re safe,” AARP’s Lee says.