This report clearly shows that older drivers have steadily become safer drivers. And that’s important since more older drivers will be on our roads in years to come.
Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) April 11, 2014
Drivers over 70 years old have been involved in fewer fatal traffic accidents in recent years nationwide, according to USA Today. Phoenix personal injury lawyer Kyle A. Israel of Israel & Gerity understands that older drivers generally are healthier today than they were decades ago, they are experienced behind the wheel, and cars are safer than in past years.
Israel expressed his comments in response to an article published by USA Today on Feb. 22, 2014, about the recent findings.
“Drivers of all ages can learn from this study and from older drivers,” Israel said. “This report clearly shows that older drivers have steadily become safer drivers. And that’s important since more older drivers will be on our roads in years to come. The old way of thinking that older drivers are more dangerous no longer applies. This study clearly seems to show that experience matters when it comes to driver safety.”
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted the study which analyzed accident rates among drivers based on their age, according to USA Today. The report examined fatal car rates between 1997 and 2012. During that time period, the number of fatal car accidents dropped 42 percent for drivers over 70 years old. In contrast, the number of fatal car accidents for drivers 35 to 54 years old fell by 30 percent during the same time period, according to USA Today.
Anne McCartt, senior vice president at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, credited the decrease partly to improvements in vehicle safety, according to USA Today. Driver health and experience also seems to be a contributing factor to the decrease in fatal car accidents among older drivers.
"There are indications that older people are healthier," McCartt said, according to the USA Today article. "We think that better health likely results in fewer impairments. (The lack of) cognitive or physical impairments results in safer drivers, and safer both in the sense that they may be less able to crash … (and) to not sustain a serious injury" during a crash.
Attorney Israel said he is pleased to hear about the findings, since America’s population continues to grow older.
“In Phoenix, where our law firm is based, we see many older drivers because we have a large retirement population,” Israel said. “Having handled many serious car accident cases, we find that factors such as texting while driving and drunk driving play a far greater role in car wrecks than the driver’s age. What we see in Arizona seems in line with the study’s findings.”
In 2010, residents over 70 years old accounted for 9 percent of the U.S. population. By 2050, the number of people over 70 years old will reach 16 percent of the total population nationwide, according to USA Today.
Faced with such a sharp increase in America’s elderly population, more needs to be done to continue to reduce the number of fatal car accidents among older drivers, according to Phoenix auto accident attorney Kyle A. Israel of Israel & Gerity.
“There’s always room for improvement when it comes to fatal car accidents,” Israel said. “The goal should always be zero traffic fatalities. We strongly support efforts to improve driver safety throughout Arizona. That’s because we know all too well just how devastating fatal accidents can be for families. Don’t suffer in silence if a loved one has died in an auto accident in Arizona caused by another driver. Contact an experienced attorney to learn about your rights.”
The USA Today article cited is “Study: Car crash deaths fall among elderly drivers.”
About Israel & Gerity, PLLC
Attorney Kyle A. Israel obtained his degree from the Arizona State University College of Law and has practiced law in Arizona since 1994. In addition to handling cases involving car and truck accidents, Israel & Gerity’s legal practice focuses on helping victims of construction accidents, construction defects, lithium toxicity, dog bites and nursing home negligence. Attorney Israel was anonymously selected by his peers into the first class of Arizona’s Finest Lawyers, an honor reserved for 2% of lawyers across the state, and has received nearly 100% favorable verdicts in the cases he has tried to verdict.
For more information about what to do if you’ve been in a car or truck accident, call (888) 900-3667 for a free case consultation.
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