title: Risk of fatal injury in older adult drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare risk of fatal injury in elderly road users (drivers, passengers, pedestrians) with that of younger age groups and to assess the contribution of elderly road users to the number of reported fatalities in the population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fatality age was categorized as 21 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, or 70 and older, and road user was categorized as driver, passenger, or pedestrian. Estimated number of trips made by each age group was used to adjust for exposure and to measure individual risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fatalities recorded in Britain between 1989 and 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-wide fatal injury counts in Britain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Age of fatally injured drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Estimated number of trips made per year by drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Risk of fatal injury, but not fatality numbers in the population, were higher for older adult (≥ 70) drivers than for younger age groups. Risk of fatal injury was also high for older adult passengers and pedestrians, who represented the majority of older adult fatalities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Previous emphasis on driver impairment in older age has unduly focussed attention on elderly drivers, who represent a minority of all driver fatalities. Older adults represent a much larger proportion of passenger and pedestrian fatalities. Additional policy schemes and initiatives should be targeted at safeguarding older adult passengers and making the road environment safer for elderly pedestrians.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University IUAV of Venice, Venice, Italy. jonathan.rolison@plymouth.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jonathan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Rolison
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hewson
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hellier
authors.forename: Poppy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Husband
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality*; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D055815:Young Adult