title: On the fatal crash experience of older drivers.
abstract: This study describes the fatal crash experiences of older drivers. Data from two U.S. databases (NASS-CDS and FARS) were used. Several crash, vehicle, and occupant characteristics were compared across age groups, including vehicle type, crash direction (PDOF), severity (DeltaV), and injured body region. A sub-set of 97 fatally injured drivers was chosen for a detailed case study. The mean travel speed, DeltaV, and airbag deployment rate decreased significantly with age (p<0.001 unless noted). Mortality rate increased significantly with age. Older drivers killed were significantly more likely to die of a chest injury (47.3% vs. 24.0% in youngest group) and less likely to die of a head injury (22.0% vs. 47.1% in youngest group). Older drivers were more likely to die at a date after the crash date ("delayed death"), as were males (p=0.003). A 16-year-old driver had a 10.8%-12.0% probability of delayed death, while a 75-year-old had a 20.7%-22.7% probability. For those having a delayed death, the length of the delay increased significantly with age (2.9 days for age 16 vs. 7.9 for age 75). A subjective assessment of the case files indicated that frailty or a pre-existing health condition played a role in 4.3% of the younger drivers' deaths, but 50.0% of the older group.
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.forename: Basem
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Henary
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019992:Databases as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology