Senior Driver Facts and Statistics

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

Auto insurance for seniors, meaning adults aged 65 and older, costs an average of $1,828 per year. After you turn 65, the price goes up every year.

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

Number of Seniors Drivers on the Roads

As of 2018, there were nearly 45 million licensed drivers ages 65 and older in the U.S., a 40 percent increase over the past decade, or a yearly average increase of 3 percent.⁴

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.

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, 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 seniors.

Another risk factor is age. Believe it or not, drivers 75 and older actually have lower crash rates than those ages 65 to 74, according to NHTSA data from 2021, the most recent year available.

Accidents

In 2021, drivers who are 65 and older got into more than 1 million car accidents, 70 percent of which involved property damage only. Only 1 percent of senior car crashes were fatal, with nearly 7,500 traffic fatalities that year.

Motorcycle Accidents

Unfortunately for seniors who like driving motorcycles, fatality rates increase sevenfold and injury rates more than double with motorcycles compared to rates across all motor vehicles. Motorcycle crashes are more dangerous across all age groups, however, so this problem isn’t specific to older drivers.

A fatal crash is much more likely when riding a motorcycle than a car, which offers drivers more protection.

Distracted Driving

Ten percent of all senior driving accidents in 2021 involved distracted driving, which means texting, talking on the phone, eating, drinking, and other activities that take your focus from the road. Find out if you’re considered a distracted driver with our quiz.

Seat Belt Use

According to 2019 and 2020 NHTSA data, drivers ages 70 and older have the highest use of seat belts, also known as restraints. During these two years, 92 percent of those 70 and older used seat belts, compared to 90 percent across the general population.

Impaired Driving

Driving impaired means you’re behind the wheel with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher. In 2021, 17 percent of all senior drivers involved in fatal accidents were driving under the influence (DUI).

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 with many cars on the road.
3. Defrost your windows: For winter driving, ensure your windows are completely defrosted.⁵
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 during times 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: You can reduce the risk of injury and death if you wear your seat belt every time you drive.
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
• Governors Highway Safety Administration
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• National Institute on Aging
• U.S. Department of Transportation