Projecting Fatalities in Crashes Involving Older Drivers, 2000-2025
Projecting Fatalities in Crashes Involving Older Drivers, 2000-2025
Projecting Fatalities in Crashes Involving Older Drivers, 2000-2025
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Specific highway enhancements to reduce the crash <strong>in</strong>volvement of the elderly<br />
have been recommended (Stapl<strong>in</strong>, 1999). These highway design changes <strong>in</strong>clude larger<br />
and brighter signage and pavement/curb guides (to accommodate problems with nighttime<br />
driv<strong>in</strong>g); <strong>in</strong>tersection designs and redesigns to improve visibility and ensure standard,<br />
consistent position<strong>in</strong>g of turn/merge lanes and signage (to alleviate the maneuverability<br />
problems of the elderly at <strong>in</strong>tersections); improvements <strong>in</strong> freeway entrance/exit lanes and<br />
signage; and improved pedestrian controls and longer cross<strong>in</strong>g times at crosswalks<br />
(Stapl<strong>in</strong>, 1999).<br />
ITS technologies and adaptive technologies will certa<strong>in</strong>ly impact driv<strong>in</strong>g strategies<br />
of the elderly and may have a significant impact on their crash <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>in</strong> the future.<br />
The actual extent of these impacts are impossible to quantify at this time, however, and<br />
were not factored <strong>in</strong>to our model.<br />
3.4 CRASH LITERATURE<br />
To predict the number of older drivers <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> crashes <strong>in</strong> the future (e.g.,<br />
2020), it is necessary to look at crash data from the past. A discussion of available crash<br />
data sets is provided <strong>in</strong> Chapter 4. Sections 3.4.1-3.4.5, below, provide a brief overview of<br />
the current literature provid<strong>in</strong>g analyses of crash data.<br />
With <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g age comes <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g frailty. The <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g risk associated with<br />
traffic crashes as drivers age was discussed <strong>in</strong> Section 3.2.2 and will not be addressed<br />
further <strong>in</strong> this chapter.<br />
GM Project G.6 3 - 26 October <strong>2000</strong>