One third of the pedestrians killed in road crashes are aged 75 or over. Other age groups are less vulnerable (see Figure 7).
The greater vulnerability of older pedestrians [4] results in a higher risk of sustaining serious injuries. Growing older increases the chances of impairment. Walking speed, reaction time, peripheral vision and the flexibility of the neck and upper body may all deteriorate. These functional impairments result in a higher risk of crash involvement [4].
Figure 7. Distribution of pedestrian fatalities according to age group in 2009-2018 (source: Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW - BRON).
In traffic, road users with visual or auditory impairments are more vulnerable [4], but their crash involvement is unknown. Their impairment is not registered in the crash register, so we do not know to what degree their vulnerability contributes to their crash rate.
