In 2000, there were nearly 13 million people in Germany aged 65+ years out of a total population of 82 million. The proportionate share of elderly persons in the population continues to rise, but the number of elderly drivers is growing even faster. Cohorts are aging now for whom driving has always been part of their lives. It is therefore prudent to prepare for the future road safety problems that will likely be caused by older drivers, even if today's accident figures do not seem to be very dramatic. With this in mind, this chapter provides an overview of trends in the frequency of accidents among elderly drivers in Germany, and also examines results of lab and actual driving tests with elderly drivers. The main findings of these tests are discussed.
Abstract