This paper discusses previous studies reported where the analysis of automobile crash data in the State of Pennsylvania is consistent wit previous epidemiological studies of the relationship between advancing adult age and driving safety. Most noteworthy among the conclusions of that study are that: (a) older drivers are more likely to die in automobile accidents due to their increasing frailty; and (b) the lack of reliable risk exposure data greatly limits our ability to interpret age-related trends in the accident data base. The previous study did an excellent job in presenting the case for the above conclusions. Especially interesting is the statistical manipulation of risk exposure by limiting some of the analyses to accidents occurring between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.-the time of day when most middle-aged persons are at work and when older drivers tend to be over-represented as vehicular occupants and drivers. However, there is another major conclusion that can be drawn that is somewhat understated in the study. Namely, there is evidence in the data that the causes of accidents among older drivers are shifting away from reckless behaviors such as speeding and alcohol consumption to a new set of causes characterized by limitations in drivers' visual information processing efficiency.
Samenvatting