There are over 26 million people age 70 and older in the United States. In 2004, this age group made up 9.0 percent of the total U.S. resident population, compared with 8.9 percent in 1994. From 1994 to 2004, the growth rate for this older segment of the population was 4 percent higher than the growth rate of the total population. There were 19.8 million older licensed drivers in 2003 (2004 data not available) — a 27-percent increase from the number in 1993. In contrast, the total number of licensed drivers increased by only 13 percent from 1993 to 2003. Older drivers made up 10 percent of all licensed drivers in 2003, compared with 9 percent in 1993. In 2004, 141,000 older individuals were injured in traffic crashes, accounting for 5 percent of all the people injured in traffic crashes during the year. These older individuals made up 12 percent of all traffic fatalities, 11 percent of all vehicle occupant fatalities, and 16 percent of all pedestrian fatalities. Most traffic fatalities involving older drivers in 2004 occurred during the daytime (81%), on weekdays (72%), and involved another vehicle (74%). (Author/publisher)
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