Historical changes in motor vehicle death rates among the elderly.
Motor vehicle death rates among the elderly decreased substantially between 1940 and 1980, while the number of registered motor vehicles in the United States increased fourfold and death rates from motor vehicle injury changed little for the entire population. The annual death rate per 100,000 males aged 75-79 declined from 120 in 1940 to 41 in 1980. Much of the decrease can be attributed to reduced pedestrian deaths. Rates for other elderly age and sex groups showed similar patterns but the rates were lower and the changes smaller. Displaying age-specific motor vehicle death rates by birth cohort provides a graphic demonstration that these death rates have decreased markedly for all age groups 60 and older. Implications and possible causes of this decrease are discussed.
Fife
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Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Washington, D.C. 20037.
Whitfield
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D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000639:trends; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States