This factsheet provides information on the scale and nature of road traffic accidents involving injury to older car occupants (exceeding 60 years of age) in the Greater London area during 2001 and also provides long-term trends from 1981 to 2001. During 2001 a total of 1461 older car occupants were casualties. While the overall number of casualties decreased with increasing age, the severity ratio for older car occupant casualties generally increases as the age group increases. Compared with the 1981-85 average, 2001 showed a 17.9% reduction in total older car occupant casualties. There are more male driver casualties than female, partly because more men in this age group have driving licences. Car occupant casualties over 80 years of age have shown a 50% increase in 2001 compared with 1981-85. This reflects increasing car use by older people. In 2001, accident severity ratio increased as age increased. Older car occupant casualties per 1000 older population were highest in Redbridge and the City and lowest in Kensington and Chelsea. 72% of older car occupant casualties were injured at a junction. Older car occupant casualties peaked in the middle of the day. Major causes of the accidents were disregard of 'stop' or 'give way' signs, driving too fast for the conditions, and turning right injudiciously.
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