Abstract
Korea has entered the stage of an aging society as the population at age 65 or older surpassed 7 percent of the total population back in 2000 and is expected to hit 17 percent in 2017. As an increase in the number of elderly on the road corr...
Abstract
Korea has entered the stage of an aging society as the population at age 65 or older surpassed 7 percent of the total population back in 2000 and is expected to hit 17 percent in 2017. As an increase in the number of elderly on the road corresponds to a rapid increase in traffic accidents involving senior drivers, Korea should make adequate preparations for this aging population and devise various measures to ensure safety. Few studies, however, have examined the issues by comparing traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers with those caused by younger drivers. In this study, I analyze and compare senior drivers with non-senior drivers and suggest measures to improve road safety that correspond to age-relevant characteristics determined by dividing senior drivers into three age groups and comparing their driving behaviors. I chose a retrospective approach for an objective comparison of traffic accidents involving senior drivers with those involving non-senior drivers and drew data from traffic accident statistics recorded nationwide over the last three years from 2012 to 2014.
This study shows that senior drivers are on average 1.51 times more likely than non-senior drivers to be involved in a traffic accident. Broken down by age, those 65-69 are 1.34 times more likely to be in accident than non-senior driver; those 70-74, 1.56 times; and those 75 and over 1.9 times, which indicates that the older the driver, the more likelihood of a serious traffic accident. By vehicle type, traffic accidents caused by senior truck drivers at age 65 or older are 1.28 times more serious than those caused by passenger car drivers (1.26 times) or van drivers (1.69 times) of the same age. The risks of traffic accidents become much higher when bicycles (2.43 times) and motor bikes (2.89 times) are involved.
Also, senior drivers caused 1.18 times more single-vehicle accidents, 1.19 times more over-the-centerline car accidents and traffic light violations, and 1.04 times more improper intersection crossings than their non-senior counterparts. In terms of road types, car accidents involving senior drivers occurred 1.87 times more often on county roads, 1.35 times more on national highways, and 1.31 times more on local roads than was the case for non-senior drivers. In terms of road designs, senior drivers had 1.15 times more vehicle accidents on curved roads than non-senior drivers and the two oldest sets combined (70 and over) caused 1.45 times more accidents on foggy days than the younger set, those aged 65 to 69.
In conclusion, this study suggests that it is imperative to revise traffic safety policy for systematic improvement of traffic safety measures for elderly drivers by taking into consideration the psychological (cognitive ability) and physical (motor skills) of senior drivers in comparison with non-senior drivers. Moreover, it seems highly advisable to subdivide senior drivers into several age groups and apply progressively stricter driver’s license renewal rules, such as shortening of the renewal cycle and tightening of the driver aptitude test, among others.
Keywords: aging, elderly drivers*, cross analysis, relative risk
*elderly drivers(=over 65 years old driver)