How age affects driving

According to the National Road Safety Observatory, the number of drivers over 65 has increased considerably. This is due to the fact that the Spanish population ages year after year, and in addition, we stop driving later and later.

Specifically in Spain there are currently 4.1 million active drivers over 65 years of age. Of these, 1.4 million are over 74 years old. The most important part is concentrated in the range that goes from 65 to 69 years.

These 4.1 million drivers over 65 years of age, according to data from the DGT of 2019, are practically twice as many as there were in 2008, when they were 2.2 million.

It is expected that the population over 65 years of age will continue to increase, going from accounting for 19.5% of all Spaniards in 2019 to 32% in 2050. Therefore, it is more than likely that these data will continue to increase. increasing year after year.

In the study presented by the DGT, the myth that older people are more reckless at the wheel is put to rest.

The probability of loss of those over 65 years of age has been compared with the immediately lower range, from 45 to 65 years of age. The conclusions are the following:

The probability of exceeding the speed limit is 12% lower in those over 65 years of age. They are also 12% less likely to invade the opposite way.

When it comes to seat belt use, those over 65 are 6% less likely not to wear one.

In addition, they are 5% less likely to run off the road and 12% less likely to suffer a frontal collision.

The same study has also discovered situations in which age seems to take its toll on driving.

Those over 65 are 169% more likely to miss a stop.

They also commit more violations at intersections, 41% more than those in the 45 to 65 bracket.

And, from the age of 65, the risk of suffering a side collision, frontolateral or colliding from behind another vehicle, increases by 19%.

The University of Granada presented a study in September that studied which groups of drivers caused more victims in traffic accidents. Claim data between 2009 and 2013 was taken as a sample, with a total of 790,435 users involved in these claims. In the study, the minor and serious injuries and the deceased are counted as collateral victims of an accident.

By type of vehicle, drivers of buses (153.3 accidents per 100 accidents) and pick-up models (110.8 victims per 100 accidents) are the ones that cause the most victims, followed by truck drivers (10104.57.4 injured per 100 accidents) and car drivers (101.4 victims per 100 accidents).

Just like people over 65, young people have always had a reputation for being more reckless behind the wheel. The study by the University of Granada has also taken into account the age of the drivers in accidents with victims and in this case it does confirm this.

The study concludes that the drivers who cause the most victims by accident are those under 25 years of age (107.4 accidents per 100 accidents).

They are followed by those over 65 years of age (103.5 victims per 100 accidents) and in third position are those between 35 and 64 years of age (101.2 accident victims per 100 accidents).

Another topic is that women drive worse, but the data compiled by this study says otherwise, at least in terms of injuries and deaths resulting from the accidents they cause. Men cause many more victims in accidents than women: there are 106.8 victims for every 100 accidents caused by men and, on the other hand, there are only 87.8 accidents for every 100 accidents caused by women.