Assisting the older driver - SWOV

Assisting the older driver
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Vulnerability index (30‐39 yrs=1)
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4
3
2
1
men
women
0
18‐19 30‐34 45‐49 60‐64 75‐79 90+
Figure 1.10. Vulnerability of male and female drivers; number of fatalities
per 100 injured in the age group concerned. (1996‐1998). Source: Ministry
of Transport, Public Works and Water Management / Statistics Netherlands.
Men appear to be more vulnerable until they have reached the age of 65.
From that age on the vulnerability of men and women is more or less the
same. However, using lethality data to compare the vulnerability of men and
women again introduces the problem that was mentioned in Section 1.2.2. In
general, men are more often involved in single vehicle crashes (see Table 1.3).
The severity of these crashes is, in general, greater than average. As a result,
lethality measures more than vulnerability; it also measures the severity of
the crash types that are most common among the age group considered.
Crash type
Total 18‐24 40‐49 65+
Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Pedestrian 6.2% 6.1% 6.2% 5.2% 6.3% 6.9% 4.3% 4.8%
Single vehicle 19.8% 14.0% 31.8% 20.9% 15.0% 10.6% 12.7% 14.4%
Head‐on collision 10.9% 10.6% 10.1% 10.6% 11.5% 11.8% 10.0% 10.7%
Side collision 47.4% 52.8% 40.5% 46.6% 48.8% 54.7% 57.9% 57.2%
Rear end collision 14.4% 15.3% 10.1% 15.6% 17.3% 15.3% 13.3% 11.5%
Other 1.3% 1.1% 1.4% 1.1% 1.2% 0.7% 1.8% 1.4%
Table 1.3. Drivers involved in severe crashes (fatalities and in‐patients) by age group and
sex, by crash type (1996‐1998). Source: Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water
Management / Statistics Netherlands.
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