Senior Driver Facts and Statistics

We looked at the most recent data available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and other federal agencies to give you an overview on senior drivers in the U.S.

Number of Senior Drivers on the Roads

As of 2022, there were over 51 million licensed drivers ages 65 and older in the U.S., a 43 percent increase over the past decade.

The state with the highest number of licensed drivers ages 65 and older was California, with 10 percent of all senior drivers in the U.S. Florida followed close behind with 8 percent. Note that the following data is from 2018, the last year the Department of Transportation released state-level driver data by age.

Keep each state’s general population in mind, as that greatly affects the number of senior drivers on the roads. The more drivers there are on the roads in general, the more likely there are to be high numbers of senior drivers.

Risk Factors

Statistics show male drivers 65 and older are more likely to get into crashes and likely to get into more severe crashes compared to their female counterparts,3 but this gender divide is also true regardless of age. That’s a reason why men pay more for car insurance across all age groups, not just senior

Another risk factor is age. Among drivers age 65 and older, those above 85 had the highest in 2022, according to NHTSA data. The 80-to-84 age group had the next-highest crash rate.

Accidents

In 2022, 7,971 people 65 and older were killed in traffic accidents, which represents 19 percent of all traffic fatalities for that year. Older drivers also represented 14 percent of drivers involved in fatal car crashes.

In addition, older drivers are the least likely age group to get into an accident that involves speeding, and passengers killed by an accident caused by an older driver are almost four times as likely to be over 65 as under 65.

Seat Belt Use

According to 2022 NHTSA data, drivers aged 65 and older wear seat belts, also known as restraints, more often than those under 65, and females tend to use them more often than males. In 2022, 69 percent of people 65 and over killed in a crash were wearing a seat belt, while only 45 percent of people under 65 were restrained.

Older drivers are slightly more likely to wear seatbelts than younger drivers. In 2022, 88 percent of drivers under age 24 wore seat belts, compared to 94 percent of drivers over age 70.4

Impaired Driving

Driving impaired means you’re behind the wheel with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher. In 2022, 10 percent of all senior drivers involved in fatal accidents were driving under the influence (DUI). The percentage was highest among the 65-69 age group at 13 percent.

There are certain medical conditions that could affect the driving of people ages 65 and older.

Age-Related Changes

• Vision: Vision declines with age, which means older drivers are more sensitive to glare and require more time to adjust to light changes. Issues like cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration worsen vision even more. They make it harder to recognize objects outside of one’s direct line of sight, see at night, or read traffic or street signs. An older driver may also have trouble recognizing familiar places.
• Cognition: Cognition refers to a person’s memory, attention, and executive functions. Medical conditions that affect cognition include dementia, which worsens decision-making skills and memory; sleep apnea, which causes drowsiness; and medications, some of which can also cause drowsy driving.¹ Cognition changes are more common among older adults.
• Motor skills: Even though driving may not feel like a physically demanding task, controlling a vehicle and turning to view traffic require flexibility, endurance, and strength. Even entering a car and fastening the seat belt can be difficult for someone with arthritis, which causes stiffness, or with issues like Parkinson’s disease and strokes, which cause uncontrollable movements.² Hearing impairments can also make it hard to hear sounds in and outside your car, like horns or sirens, and you may miss warnings to pull over or fail to hear mechanical issues.

Driver’s License Renewal

Because older adults are more susceptible to the above conditions, laws differ on when they can renew their driver’s licenses. Some states require proof of adequate vision as part of the renewal process.²

Cost of Car Insurance for Seniors

The cost of auto insurance tends to decrease as drivers age and gain more experience behind the wheel, with teen drivers paying the most for insurance. The cost of auto insurance for seniors does increase slightly when drivers enter their seventies, though it’s not nearly as steep as the cost for teens.

Below is a little information on how to stay safe as a senior driver, but if you want to learn more, read our full driving guide for older adults.

1. Avoid nighttime driving: If you can, avoid driving at night or even during sunrises and sunsets, as they cause glare.
2. Drive during slow periods: Again, if you can avoid it, don’t drive during rush hour or any other time when there are many cars on the road.
3. Defrost your windows: For winter driving, ensure your windows are completely defrosted.
4. Don’t drive drunk: This advice applies to drivers of any age. Even buzzed driving is drunk driving.
5. Don’t drive drowsy: Even if you’re only feeling a bit tired or stressed, avoid driving drowsy if you can.
6. Avoid bad weather: It’s best to drive when there are no atmospheric conditions, like rain, snow, or hail.
7. Drive defensively: Leave a large amount of distance between you and the car in front of you. This is an essential part of driving defensively and reducing the chance of collisions.
8. Stay focused: Make sure your mind, eyes, and hands are all focused on driving and not checking your phone.
9. Check your medications’ side effects: Some medications cause dizziness, drowsiness, and other side effects. Make sure it’s OK to drive while on a certain medicine by asking your doctor or pharmacist.
10. Plan your route: Before you drive, figure out what route you’re going to take. Avoid highways and other high-speed roadways if you can.
11. Stay active: One way to maintain the strength and flexibility necessary for driving is to use the Centers for Disease Control’s MyMobility plan.⁶ This plan teaches you how to stay independent and mobile with regular physical checkups, strength and balance exercises, and walks.
12. Wear corrective vision or auditory devices: Wear contact lenses, glasses, or hearing aids if you need them.
13. Buckle in: Wearing your seat belt every time you drive can reduce the risk of injury and death.
14. Use your car’s safety features: Take advantage of the following safety features that are standard in new cars.
    • Automatic transmission
    • Backup cameras
    • Lane departure alerts
    • Large mirrors
    • Power brakes
    • Power steering

While medical issues may make driving dangerous or impossible for some senior drivers, most drivers ages 65 and older on U.S. roads are perfectly capable of driving safely. However, if you need to tell an older adult to stop driving for their own safety, do so with understanding and support.

We used data from the following national organizations to compile this report:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• National Safety Council
• U.S. Department of Transportation