Older drivers are at increased risk of fatal crash involvement: Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Older adults have become a larger part of the driving population, but whether they are at increased risk of being involved in fatal crashes remains unclear.

Methods: We performed a systematic review of studies investigating fatal crash involvement of older vs non-older drivers by searching the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, LILACS, SciELO, Web of Science, and ProQuest. Studies that used fatal crash involvement rates per distance driven as a measure of frequency were selected for meta-analysis.

Results: We analyzed 14 studies published between 2001 and 2018. Of these, 12 reported a higher rate of fatal crashes involving older drivers than non-older drivers; 9 of them used involvement rates per distance driven, which is considered the most appropriate metric. The meta-analysis revealed high heterogeneity between studies. The meta-regression attributed 40% of the heterogeneity to age (older vs non-older drivers) (p<0.005).

Conclusion: Age appears to be associated with higher driver involvement rates for fatal crashes among older persons.

Keywords: Car accidents; Fatal traffic accidents; Older drivers; Systematic review.