Crash rates for drivers in their 70s drop below those of middle-aged drivers.

3 October 2020

In a remarkable reversal of evidence about drivers once thought to be an outsize threat to themselves and others on the road  a new study from the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that drivers in their 70s are now less likely to be involved in a fatal crash than those in their prime working years, 

The number of older drivers has grown rapidly over the past two decades. But better health and safer vehicles, as well as possible benefits from infrastructure improvements and changes to licensing policies, have prevented an accompanying spike in crashes. Not only do drivers in their 70s now have fewer fatal crashes per licensed driver, but they also have fewer police-reported crashes per mile traveled than middle-aged drivers.

It appears that similar trends are appearing in other countries.