Fatality Rate of Traffic Accidents Involving Elderly Drivers is 1.8 Times Higher Than Non-Elderly Drivers

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] A study has found that the fatality rate of traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers is about 80% higher than that of non-elderly drivers.

On the 28th, the Samsung Traffic Safety Culture Research Institute, affiliated with Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, announced that after analyzing traffic accident data from the National Police Agency, the number of traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers aged 65 and over reached approximately 33,000 cases in 2019, marking a 44% increase compared to 2015.

During this period, the fatality rate per 100 traffic accidents caused by non-elderly drivers was 1.7 deaths, whereas the fatality rate for accidents caused by elderly drivers was 2.9 deaths, about 80% higher. Additionally, when comparing the number of deaths and serious injuries per one million licensed drivers between elderly and non-elderly groups, the elderly showed 63% more cases.

In particular, among elderly drivers, those aged 80 to 84 had the highest number of deaths and serious injuries compared to other age groups. On the other hand, elderly drivers showed negative perceptions toward driving license restriction measures. In a survey conducted by the institute in September last year targeting licensed drivers nationwide, elderly individuals aged 65 and over responded negatively to driving restrictions such as allowing driving only on city roads.