Seniors often get a bad rap when it comes to driving. Many argue that older drivers don’t have the eyesight, reaction time, or hearing capabilities that are required to safely operate a vehicle, but is this true or are seniors unfairly targeted?
Younger Drivers Pose More of a Threat
According to a study conducted by the RAND Corporation, younger drivers are actually more dangerous behind the wheel than seniors. Although drivers age 65 and older are 16 percent more likely to become involved in crashes than drivers who are between the ages of 25 and 64, younger drivers pose a far more dangerous threat. In fact, drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 are a whopping 188 percent more likely to cause accidents than older drivers are.
Furthermore, seniors are behind the wheel far less often than other driver age groups. Older drivers log about 38 percent fewer miles than adult drivers do. Younger drivers, on the other hand, travel about 58 percent more than adult drivers do. Coupled with the fact that seniors cause seven percent of all two-car accidents, while young drivers cause 13 percent, it’s safe to say that younger drivers are more of an accident risk.
Seniors Tend to Pick Their Driving Battles
A majority of senior drivers tend to avoid driving in dangerous situations. For instance, many skip getting behind the wheel during peak driving times, and won’t venture out in inclement weather. Younger drivers, however, aren’t as selective and will often drive no matter what time of the day and during all types of weather conditions.
Accident Victims May Be Entitled to Receive Financial Compensation
If you were the victim of an accident that was caused by no fault of your own, you may be entitled to receive financial compensation, and the attorneys of Wayne Wright want to help. Schedule your appointment to speak with a legal professional about your situation by calling 800-237-3334.