Citation

Koppel S, Bohensky M, Langford J, Taranto D. Traffic Injury Prev. 2011; 12(5): 459-467.

Affiliation

Monash University Accident Research Centre, Monash University , Victoria , Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15389588.2011.580802

PMID

21972856

Abstract

Objective: This article aimed to identify the main features of older driver casualty crashes, including detailed descriptions of injury outcomes. Methods: Data were obtained from the Transport Accident Commission insurance claims database for 2 groups of drivers: aged 41 to 55 years (middle-aged drivers) and aged 65 years and older (older drivers). Results: In terms of crash circumstances, the majority of crashes involved a collision with another vehicle (70.0% of middle-aged drivers and 68.7% of older drivers). The 2 main maneuvers at the time of crash were driving straight ahead (44.6% of middle-aged drivers and 42.8% of older drivers) and turning right (equivalent of left turn in North America; 15.2% of middle-aged drivers and 17.6% of older drivers). In terms of injury outcomes, older drivers sustained a significantly higher proportion of injuries to the thorax (30.9% compared to 18.5% of middle-aged drivers). Conversely, a significantly higher proportion of middle-aged drivers sustained some form of injury to the neck (30.6% compared to 12.1% of older drivers). Conclusion: These findings highlight the situations that are particularly risky for older drivers and provide important insights for developing solutions to reduce older driver crash and injury risk.

Language: en