Study Shows Perception Of Older Drivers As Dangerous Is Mistaken

Personal injury attorney Bert Louthian of Louthian Law P.A. says statistics reflecting declining crash rates for seniors is good news and disproves the notion that older drivers are unsafe drivers.
By: Louthian Law Firm, P.A.
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Feb. 25, 2014 - PRLog -- A report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released on February 20, 2014, concludes that today’s older drivers are safer than those of past years.  During the period under study, 1997 to 2012, fatal crash rates per licensed driver fell 42 percent for drivers aged 70 and older, according to IIHS researchers.

“My experience with people in this age group, both personally and professionally, is that they are doing everything they can to stay active and healthy, and that includes being careful drivers,” said Bert Louthian, a Columbia attorney who handles a fair share of motor vehicle accidents.  Louthian referred to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, which show there were 67 highway fatalities in South Carolina for people in the 74-and-over age group in 2001, but only 47 ten years later, in 2011.

Several factors could be at play in the improved safety picture, according to Anne McCartt, the study’s co-author, including more safety features in late-model cars and the fact that older people are driving more.

The Federal Highway Administration’s National Household Travel Survey shows that drivers 75 and older increased their average annual mileage by more than 50 percent from 1995 to 2008.  “I think many folks are not only becoming older, they’re becoming bolder,” Louthian said.  “They’re remaining in the work force longer, staying physically and mentally sharp, and perhaps they’re not as likely to be distracted by things like texting and electronic gadgets.  And that’s good news for everyone on the roads.”

About the Louthian Law Firm

Since 1959 the Louthian Law Firm, P.A., of Columbia, S.C., has been obtaining fair compensation for people injured in car, truck and motorcycle accidents.  They also help South Carolina residents who have suffered from medical malpractice, faulty products and workplace injuries.  The firm’s office is located in the Marlboro Building, Suite 300, 1116 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC 29201 (local phone (803) 454-1200).

Contact
Bert Louthian
***@bertlouthian.com
803-454-1200
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