Older Adult Drivers
![Photo: Older adult woman driving with female passenger](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120924195542im_/http://www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/images/older_adult/mvs-seniors-couple-03-0002_250x99.jpg)
In 2009, there were 33 million licensed drivers ages 65 and older in the United States.1 Driving helps older adults stay mobile and independent. But the risk of being injured or killed in a motor vehicle crash increases as you age. An average of 500 older adults are injured every day in crashes.2
Thankfully, there are steps that older adults can take to stay safer on the roads.
In the Spotlight
Related Resources
Research & Activities
Motor Vehicle Injury prevention and control is one of the CDC priorities. CDC actively supports evidence-based interventions to drive down deaths and injuries from motor vehicle crashes.
Director's View Blog: Driving Demands Our Full Attention
When we drive, we join the community of drivers on the road. We rely on each other to follow laws and pay attention. We trust that everyone on the road with us is a dependable member of our community...
Data & Statistics
Social and New Media
References
- Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation (US). Highway Statistics 2009. Washington (DC): FHWA. [cited 2011 Feb 25]. Available from URL: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2009/dl22.cfm
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation (US). Traffic Safety Facts 2008: Older Population. Washington (DC): NHTSA; 2009 [cited 2011 Feb 25]. Available from URL: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811161.PDF
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