This project targets improving transportation safety for senior drivers aged 80 years old and older through a safety assessment and educational outreach focused on multi-vehicle-involved crashes.
Benefits to Texas Transportation Safety
This project enhances roadway safety by addressing the growing population of drivers aged 80 and older, whose crash involvement and fatality rates have risen sharply in recent years. Through statewide crash analysis, educational materials, and community outreach, the project identifies key risk factors—particularly at intersections and in multi-vehicle situations—and provides practical safety guidance for senior drivers. These efforts support Texas’ broader transportation safety goals by promoting safer roadway design, informed driver education, and improved public awareness, ultimately reducing crash risks for older drivers and enhancing safety for all Texans.
Project Need and Approach
In 2023, 199 crashes involving senior drivers were classified as fatal, compared to 125 crashes in 2020, an increase of nearly 60%. In 2023, fatal crashes accounted for 1.1% of all crashes involving drivers aged 80 and older, whereas the share was 0.6% for drivers under 80. By contrast, in 2020, the fatal crash share had been 1.0% for drivers 80 and older and 0.7% for younger drivers. Not only are senior drivers more susceptible to being involved in a crash classified as fatal than drivers younger than 80 years, but their susceptibility also increased between 2020 and 2023.
Nationally, among drivers aged 80 and above involved in fatal crashes, 39% occurred at intersections and involved multiple vehicles, compared with 21% for drivers aged 16–59. This highlights the elevated danger for the oldest drivers, particularly in multi-vehicle and intersection scenarios. Navigating complex interchanges and multilane intersections is particularly demanding for older drivers; in these environments, they are more prone to underestimate the space available to merge, overlook vehicles alongside them, or respond sluggishly when lights change.
Project Activities
Throughout the project, the project team conducted several key activities to address the identified safety issues. First, a crash analysis was conducted to identify crash patterns unique to very old drivers, focusing on roadway designs and environmental factors. These data were used for the development of a safety brochure targeting senior drivers. The project team also hosted outreach sessions in communities with high concentrations of senior drivers. A total of 10 outreach activities were hosted throughout the year in which participants were introduced to safety tips and recommendations for roads.
Project Title: Traffic Safety Improvement of Senior Drivers in Texas
Project Start and End Dates: September 1, 2024 – August 31, 2025
Author List: Myunghoon Ko, Laura Higgins, Kim Sailor, Ashesh Pant, Marcelina Perez, Emily Martin, and Sebastian Kawar
Sponsor/Funding Source: Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)