Nashville Auto Accident Lawyer Looks At Some Sobering Statistics On Elderly Tennessee Drivers
As an experienced Tennessee car accident lawyer with a large client base I try to keep them informed about issues related to highway safety. A recent study by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association regarding mature drivers caught my attention.
According to the study, since 1900, the percentage of Americans 65 and older has tripled, from 4.1% in 1900 to 12.4% in 2004. The older population itself is getting older. In 2004, the 65-74 age group (18.5 million) was over eight times larger than in 1900, but the 75-84 group (13.0 million) was 17 times larger and the 85 and older group (4.9 million) was 39.8 times larger. What this means is that it is becoming more and more likely that more and more Americans will outlive their ability to drive safely. According to the American Medical Association, older drivers (also referred to as mature drivers) have a higher risk of traffic fatalities
Older drivers have higher fatalities for two reasons: First, drivers aged 75 and older are involved in significantly more motor vehicle crashes per mile driven than middle-aged drivers. Second, mature drivers are considerably more fragile than their younger counterparts, and are therefore more likely to suffer a fatal injury in the event of a crash.
A AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study in 2004 found that drivers over the age of 65 are almost twice as likely to die in car crashes as drivers aged 55 to 64. The report also revealed that drivers over 75 were over two-and-a-half times as likely to die in a car crash and drivers over 85 were almost four times as likely to die when compared to drivers aged 55 to 64.
If you or a loved one is involved in a Tennessee automobile accident involving an elderly driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and learn about your rights and remedies.
Phillip Miller is a Tennessee Accident Attorney specializing in
Phillip has an AVVO rating of 10.0 (Superb), has been designated as a “Superlawyer”, and is the President Elect of the Tennessee Association for Justice.
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