Compared to previous generations, older Americans are spending more time behind the wheel, a new AAA study reports.
According to a AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study, one in six drivers on U.S. roads are 65 years of age and older.
The study, entitled Understanding Older Drivers: An Examination of Medical Conditions, Medication Use and Travel Behaviors, also reports that in 2010, 84% of Americans drivers over the age of 65 held a driver’s license compared to barely half in the early 1970s.
The new research also shows an increased “auto-mobility” of older drivers, whose travel miles increased 33% over the last decade. At the same time, however, a significant number of older drivers (90%) use prescription medications that can result in an impairment of safe driving abilities. Although this raises a concern among traffic safety experts; mature drivers generally are more cautious on the road than their younger counterparts. That’s because they’re more likely to self-regulate their driving by reducing daily travel, avoiding night driving or driving fewer days each week, the study says.
Additional key highlights from the report include:
- That 25% of men and 18% of women remain in the workforce after age 65. This results in more than double the work-related commutes for drivers 65 and older compared to 20 years ago;
- That 68% of drivers age 85 or older report driving five or more days per week;
- Three-quarters of drivers ages 65 and older with a medical condition report they’ve reduced their daily driving;
- The richer you area, the less likely you’ll self-regulate your behavior. For example, female drivers between 65 and 69, with an annual income under $13,000 were 62% more likely to restrict their nighttime driving than women with incomes more than $70,000.
Knowing that medication use is very high among senior drivers, AAA has developed confidential, educational tools, such as Roadwise Rx to help older drivers and their families understand common side-effects of prescription and over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements and foods.
To access this free resource, along with other online information regarding older drivers, visit seniordriving.aaa.com.
The AAA Foundation study primarily analyzed the most recent data from two national databases — the 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) and the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS).