At age 78, Sheila thinks she’s a good driver, and she would like to stay that way. But lately, she has been in minor accidents. Sheila wonders how she can stay safe behind the wheel. Will taking a class for older drivers help You may have asked yourself this question, or maybe a family member or friend has asked about your driving. Getting older doesn’t make you a bad driver. But you should know there are changes that may affect driving skills over time.

Older drivers have higher rates of fatal crashes, based on miles driven, than any other group except young drivers, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The high death rate is due in large part to their frailty.
Older people are less likely to survive an injury than younger people. By 2030 people age 65 and older are expected to represent 28 percent of the driving population and 25 percent of fatal crash involvements. According to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration 50 million, or 25 percent, of licensed drivers were age 65 and older in the United States in 2006 (latest data available). NHTSA says 5,017 people age 65 and older were killed in traffic crashes in 2008. This represents 24 percent of all Americans killed on the road.