 |
| Me in the not-so-distant future. |
Here’s an eye opener: drivers over the age of 85 are now the fastest-growing segment of American drivers. According to the Orlando Sentinel, their numbers doubled between 1998 and 2013- to amost 3.5 million. Kind of concerning when you consider that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that, per mile traveled, fatal crash rates increase starting at age 70 and are highest for driver over the age of 85. The CDC says this isn’t because they are more likely to collide with something, but because they are more likely to succumb to injuries when involved in crashes.
Drivers over the age of 50 are increasing too, with 93.5 million in 2013, making up 44% of all drivers. Conversely, there are fewer 16-year-old on the road now than at any times since the 1960s. In 2014, there were 1.08 million drivers aged 16. Five years earlier, in 2009, there were 1.72 million, so a big drop. The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute says only 24% of eligible U.S. 16-year-olds have a driver’s license.