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Elderly drivers need air bags that deploy with less force and larger traffic signs to survive or avoid accidents, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in a report released Sept. 4, 2001.

America is aging, and so are its motorists. The most recent government data (from 1997 — and America has grayed substantially since then) shows the number of licensed drivers over age 70 to be 17.7 million — a 45 percent increase from 1987. And by 2030, the number of senior citizens is expected to be 70 million, according to IIHS.

As drivers age, their risk for traffic accidents increases, especially accidents involving fatalities. But IIHS says that changes in vehicle design can make driving easier and less dangerous for elderly drivers; changes to road signs and traffic signals can make them harder to miss.

IIHS says that graduated licensing laws, which require older drivers to be tested every two years, don't always work, and says changes to road signs, walk signals, and traffic signals can make them easier for people to see and understand as they experience vision problems and reduced reaction times with age. Because older drivers are less able to cope with traumatic injuries, IIHS suggests that changes to vehicle design can help reduce crash injuries.

For example, air bags that can be told when to deploy with less force can protect both older occupants and children from bruises and other injuries, and belt-force limiters automatically give a seat belt some slack in a crash, preventing rib fractures. IIHS says some car manufacturers have already started to design cars with ergonomics in mind, resulting in features such as the Ford Focus' glare-reducing interior surfaces and larger, easier-to-read controls.

Fatalities among older drivers

Estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that in 1999, the number of fatalities of drivers age 70 and older climbed. In fact, fatalities among drivers over age 70 have nearly equaled that of the nation's most notorious drivers —teens.

Fatality statistics show that drivers age 16 to 19 are the most likely of all age groups to be involved in fatal crashes. After age 19, driver fatalities drop, only to rise sharply to the teen level after age 70. IIHS estimates that by 2030, drivers age 65 and older will account for 25 percent of all highway fatalities and 16 percent of all car crashes.

But those fatalities are more likely to be elderly drivers hurting themselves than hurting other drivers. Death rates climb for older drivers starting at age 60. By age 75, the death rate is four times higher than the rate for drivers age 30 to 59, according to IIHS. It's not that older drivers are in more severe crashes, but rather that physical changes make us more frail as we age, and in the case of car accidents, less able to cope with the serious injury and trauma that result.

IIHS says that per mile traveled, older drivers are more of a threat to themselves than to others on the road.

This trend has caught the eye of auto insurers and government agencies, and while most states have enacted laws that restrict driving privileges for teens, the fatality statistics haven't influenced the way older drivers are tested while renewing their driver's licenses.

Premium rate increases uncertain

The Insurance Services Office (ISO), a statistical-gathering group for the insurance industry, suggested back in 1997 eliminating the car insurance premium discount for motorists over age 75 due to their declining driving records. The ISO says its research shows drivers over age 75 experienced more losses — property damage and bodily injuries — relative to other drivers, so the ISO recommended eliminating the 20 percent discount, which would effectively be a rate increase. Approximately one-third of all auto insurers in the nation subscribe to the ISO's research and have the option to use it in setting their own premium rates.

Insurance companies cannot single out elderly drivers and raise premiums solely because of age — that's against the law. Rather, if the insurer can show that drivers over age 75 are more risky, and when they are involved in crashes, they suffer more debilitating, long-term injuries than younger motorists, their premiums can legitimately increase.

Knowledgeable industry sources say Colonial Penn and USAA have raised rates for elderly drivers within the last couple of years. Those sources expect that trend to continue among other insurers.

The Hartford says premium increases are a reflection of driving histories, not age. The Hartford markets auto insurance to senior citizens through the AARP.

Eyeing licensing changes

Dan Kummer, a personal auto insurance manager at the National Association of Independent Insurers (NAII), questions the effectiveness of the class, saying there are better ways to ensure the safety of elderly drivers. Specifically, the NAII is interested in laws that would require elderly drivers to renew their licenses every two years instead of every four or five years. (Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Rhode Island already require older drivers to renew their licenses every two or three years.) In addition, Kummer says insurers are urging state departments of motor vehicles to identify older drivers who might pose a safety threat. Auto insurers advocate tougher eye exams and better screening for drivers who have trouble focusing, according to Kummer.

Nathan Root, a program director at the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, a group that represents motor vehicle departments throughout the United States and Canada, says the large proportion of elderly drivers caught by motor vehicle department screening processes is deceiving. That said, Root says he believes the majority of older drivers do not cause safety problems. "The problems [with elderly drivers] tend to be overstated," he says. Root blames the media and opportunistic politicians for sounding what amounts to a false alarm when it comes to most older drivers.

Kummer agrees. "The majority of older drivers are good drivers," he says.

When twilight comes

Ignoring the government's fatality statistics is difficult, though. That's why Root and the NAII say "graduated licensing" laws, like those adopted for teen drivers, could be a viable option to reverse the elderly fatality trend. Graduated licensing laws impose restrictions on driving time for new drivers.

Root and Kummer say they do not believe new licensing laws for seniors will fly because aging drivers are not ready to give up their freedom and public transportation is not readily available in all areas. "The elderly are a pretty powerful lobbying group," Kummer says. "Anytime you hear of graduated licensing for seniors, the AARP gets up in arms even though you see that after age 70 there's an increase in risk." The AARP supports licensing restrictions, but on a case-by-case basis only.

So why did graduated licensing laws pass for teens? "Teenagers can't vote," Kummer says.

Audrey Straight, a senior policy advisor at the AARP, acknowledges that her group is a powerful lobbying force, but she also says the AARP supports a form of graduated licensing for all drivers, not just the elderly. "Age is not necessarily the predictor of unsafe driving," she says. "We think states should issue licenses with restrictions on a case-by-case basis."

Straight says the AARP is in favor of more stringent tests at license renewal time, such as determining a driver's field of vision, flexibility, and cognitive capacity.

While insurers and motor vehicle departments agree that elderly driving fatalities and injuries have not yet reached a critical threshold, Root thinks that point is coming soon. "As baby boomers enter their twilight years, we as a nation will have to look at graduated licensing for seniors."