This article presents the results of an investigation into the characteristics of elderly people involved in accidents in France. The data used came from three sources: a) the BAAC file, which groups together all police records of injury accidents; b) the accident report database set up by INRETS; and c) mobility data provided by the SOFRES panel survey. Analysis of these data indicate that: a) elderly pedestrians and cyclists are the most vulnerable, with 34% of pedestrians and 23% of cyclists fatalities being aged 65 or over; b) elderly drivers are more likely to be thought responsible for the accident than other drivers, especially when the accident occurs at an intersection or in a rural area; and c) although they cover less kilometres per year than the average driver, their accident risk for every kilometre driven is greater.
Samenvatting