Motor Vehicle Deaths - Age 65+ in North Carolina

North Carolina

Despite being largely preventable, motor vehicle accidents remain a leading cause of unintentional death in the United States, with over 36,000 crash deaths each year. Since 2000, the number of licensed drivers age 65 and older in the U.S. has increased by 68%, totaling 48 million in 2020. While driving can help older adults remain mobile and independent, the risk of injury or death from a traffic accident increases with age. 

Common age-related problems that can affect older adults’ driving abilities include changes in vision, cognition and motor ability. Several medical conditions that can interfere with clear thinking and consciousness or make driving more painful and difficult become more common with age, such as dementia, arthritis, stroke and cataracts. 

In 2021, over 7,400 adults age 65 and older were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, accounting for 17% of all traffic fatalities. Traffic fatality rates among older adults increased by 11% from 2020 to 2021. In 2020, deaths from traffic crashes cost the U.S. more than $430 billion in medical expenses and cost estimates of lives lost.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the prevalence of motor vehicle deaths is higher among:

• Women age 65 and older compared with men of the same age. 
• Adults age 85 or older compared with adults ages 65-74. Adults ages 75-84 also have a high prevalence.

A recent study has found that a higher rate of cigarette smoking in a population is significantly associated with increased motor vehicle fatalities, particularly from alcohol-related traffic accidents.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified strategies for staying safe on the road, including:

• Always wearing a seatbelt as a driver or passenger. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched the Click It or Ticket campaign to raise awareness that seat belts save lives.
• Driving when weather and daylight conditions are safest, as poor driving conditions can increase the likelihood of crashes. 
• Not drinking and driving, as alcohol can reduce coordination and impair judgment. 
• Preparing a customizable MyMobility Plan to stay mobile and independent. 
• Reviewing your medications to avoid negative side effects or drug interactions. 

Driver refresher courses are available for older adults who wish to maintain or improve their driving skills, such as AAA’s RoadWise Driver. Tools are available to evaluate driving ability, which can help older drivers decide whether to continue driving.

Healthy People 2030 has an objective to reduce the proportion of deaths of car passengers who weren’t buckled in and to reduce motor vehicle deaths overall.

Becker, Mary J., and Thomas J. Zlatoper. “Relationship Between Smoking and Motor Vehicle Death Rates in the U.S.” Atlantic Economic Journal 50, no. 1–2 (June 2022): 53–65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11293-022-09746-5.

National Center for Statistics and Analysis. “Traffic Safety Facts: 2021 Data - Older Population.” Traffic Safety Facts. Washington, D.C.: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, August 2023. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813491.

Pomidor, Alice. “Clinician’s Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers.” New York: The American Geriatrics Society, 2019. https://www.safemobilityfl.com/pdfs/CliniciansGuide/CliniciansGuideOlderDriversComplete4thEdition.pdf.

Yellman, Merissa A., and Erin K. Sauber-Schatz. “Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths — United States and 28 Other High-Income Countries, 2015 and 2019.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 71, no. 26 (July 1, 2022): 837–43. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7126a1.