FATAL CRASH RISK FOR OLDER DRIVERS AT INTERSECTIONS

Risk of fatal crash involvement was calculated for older drivers relat ive to drivers aged 40-49 in the United States during the years 1994-1 995. The results indicated that drivers ages 65-69 were 2.26 times mor e at risk for multiple-vehicle involvements at intersections compared with 1.29 times more at risk in all other situations. The comparable f igures for drivers aged 85 and older were 10.62 for multiple-vehicle i nvolvements at intersections compared with 3.74 for all other situatio ns. The relative crash risk was particularly high for older drivers at uncontrolled and stop sign-controlled locations; when traveling strai ght or when just starting to enter the intersection; and when the spec ific behavioral error in the crash was failure to yield. Countermeasur es will likely involve reducing or simplifying the need to detect and evaluate moving traffic coming from the left and right when at interse ctions. This can be accomplished by traffic signals with protected lef t turns, four-way stop signs. and one-way streets. Whereas such device s involve significant cost in terms of dollars and travel delay, their cost-effectiveness may have to be revisited as the United States popu lation continues to age. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights res erved.