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July 17, 2009

Elderly motorists in fewer crashes, state stats show

By Alan Burke

Pat Roberts keeps an eagle eye on the parking lot at the Marblehead Community Center. As director of the Council on Aging, she watches the town's seniors come and go, and at times it is not a pretty sight.

"They go the wrong way," she said. "You can watch them trying to get into a parking space. Sometimes it takes several tries to get into a space. And you can see the damage on their cars." You can even see them create the damage by hitting parked cars. And when some elders get out of their vehicles, they are "hardly able to walk in here."

At a time when older drivers are under scrutiny, in the wake of several fatal and near-fatal accidents — including a recent crash that breached the entrance to Walmart in Danvers and injured a small child — you might think Roberts would be warning us of the need to get those people under control.

She isn't.

CLICK HERE FOR A CHART SHOWING LOCAL CRASH STATISTICS

"I don't think testing people at age 85 is the answer," she said.

In fact, Roberts believes that what she sees outside her window are the few bad drivers who are likely, perhaps with a little pressure, to turn in their keys voluntarily.

"We have spoken to a few people," she said.

Often, they respond.

The numbers of seniors who represent trouble on our roads, Roberts says, are not disproportionate when compared with youthful drivers, middle-aged drivers or any other drivers. For that matter, hers is a view supported by some law enforcement professionals, legislators, seniors and even by some state statistics.

The numbers provided by the Registry of Motor Vehicles could be deceiving as they fail to account for the amount of miles driven. Yet, they show a clear picture of accidents and fatalities statewide and locally, with both events tending to decline as people age.

Last year, people over 80, for example, were involved in the fewest crashes per 1,000 drivers, at roughly 24 statewide. The fact that people of that age are physically more frail may account for a somewhat elevated rate of fatalities in those crashes — but at 0.12 per 1,000, it's still nearly half the number of fatalities (0.21 per thousand) of those age 16 to 23.

State Rep. John Keenan cites somewhat contrary statistics showing that at age 85, "the numbers spike pretty good." He's optimistic that the recent spate of bad news regarding older drivers will produce laws representing "a compromise useful to law enforcement and fair to senior drivers."

Legislation would likely mean testing older drivers, at some point, for their reflexes and awareness. For that matter, the Salem Democrat said, "I've received some really positive responses from seniors in favor of some testing."

Just as the statistics can be misleading if not read properly, the proliferation of news stories on senior mishaps might be likewise misinterpreted. Danvers Rep. Ted Speliotis — who also supports some testing — points to a reason why these accidents are happening.

"They really reflect the explosion of our senior population. They're not better nor worse than other drivers. There's just more of them." The large numbers, he said, are one reason for addressing the situation on Beacon Hill.

The negative attention paid to older drivers has annoyed Geraldine Cosgrove of the Danvers Council on Aging. If the media wants to paint seniors with anecdotal evidence, she can toss it right back at them.

"I don't think we take as many chances," she said. "We don't weave down the highway. ... Young mothers are out there with the kids in the car talking on their cell phones. ... I don't think we cause as many accidents as young people do."

The fact that seniors drive less contributes to their safety, Cosgrove said. She does a mere 7,000 miles per year. "Most (older) people don't go out at night." Weather can also deter them.

At the same time, Cosgrove explains why seniors want to continue to drive, citing the benefits of independence. "There is no public transportation."

For all that, Cosgrove does not oppose some kind of testing.

"I don't personally see many elderly people getting into accidents," said Sgt. Joseph Shairs, Beverly's traffic officer. "It seems pretty evenly distributed." New drivers might be a bigger concern. "A lot of younger people don't appreciate what a motor vehicle is capable of in terms of speed and power."

He would support testing "on a case-by-case basis." Further, he echoes several others by worrying primarily over physical disabilities rather than age. "I know 80-year-olds who can function better than 60-year-olds."

His own father spent nearly 50 years as a truck driver, Shairs said, "And up until the day he died he was driving. And he never had an accident."

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Elderly motorists in fewer crashes, state stats show
by By Alan Burke , , Fri Jul 17, 2009, 01:54 PM EDT
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