AGE-RELATED-CHANGES IN DRIVERS CRASH RISK AND CRASH TYPE

Age and gender differences in the rates of crash involvement of Wester n Australian drivers were examined using the Road Injury Database of t he Road Accident Prevention Research Unit at the University of Western Australia. The population examined was all drivers of cars, station w agons and related vehicles involved in property damage, injury and fat al crashes reported to the police in Western Australia from 1 January 1989 to 31 December 1992. It was found that drivers aged <25 years wer e involved in ca 35% of crashes, compared with 3% for drivers 70 years and over. Drivers under 25 years had the highest rates on a populatio n and licence basis, but when the distance travelled was taken into ac count, rates of crash involvement for the 75 or more age group were as high as those of the youngest age group. Females had higher rates of crash involvement than males in all age groups. Drivers over 70 years were involved in relatively more crashes involving fatalities and hosp ital admissions than younger drivers, although the number of such cras hes was small. The youngest groups of drivers had proportionately more single vehicle crashes, drivers 30-59 years had more same direction c rashes, and drivers over 60 years, particularly those over 75 years, h ad more direct and indirect right angle crashes. There were also age r elated patterns in the movements associated with these crashes. Driver s under 30 years were associated with swerving and swinging wide, driv ers 30-59 years were stopped at the time of the crash disproportionate ly often, and drivers over 60 years were associated with turning movem ents. The percentage of crashes in daylight ranged from ca 64% for dri vers under 20 years to a maximum of over 90% for those 80 years and ov er. These patterns are consistent with changes in exposure to risk of crash involvement with age, and also with changes in ability, experien ce and psychological function, which are also related to age. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.