Fatal crashes spike as New Jersey’s older drivers stay behind the wheel

♥ Fatal crashes involving drivers 65 and older are rising nationwide.

♥ Older drivers now account for nearly a quarter of fatal crashes in New Jersey.

❤️ AAA urges families to balance senior independence with safety through health checks, technology reviews and planning ahead.

The number of fatal traffic crashes involving older drivers is on the rise across the U.S., and the statistics from AAA Northeast are alarming.

Fatal crashes involving older drivers surge nationwide

Between 2014 and 2023, the population of people 65 and older increased by 28%, according to AAA Northeast Outreach Manager Shani Jarvis. During this period, the number of older drivers involved in fatal crashes increased by 41%, while the number of older licensed drivers jumped by 38%.

In 2023 (the last year of available federal data), nearly 7,900 individuals aged 65 and older were killed in crashes. Even more concerning, individuals aged 80 to 84 showed the highest fatality rate.

New Jersey sees hundreds of deadly crashes tied to senior drivers

In New Jersey, there were over 700 fatal crashes involving older drivers from 2020 to 2024, Jarvis said. This accounted for 23% of all fatal crashes, or nearly 3,000, during those four years.

She also said that the rise in fatal crashes involving older drivers reflects the growing number of licensed drivers aged 65 or older nationwide.

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Growing senior driver population raises safety concerns

In 2023, there were nearly 53 million licensed older drivers, an increase of 16 million from 10 years ago, according to the latest data from the Federal Highway Administration.

In New Jersey in 2023, there were approximately 1.5 million licensed older drivers, an increase of 356,000 from 10 years ago.

“It’s critical to balance the need for seniors to be active in their communities with safety behind the wheel,” Jarvis said.

Families and caregivers can help keep senior drivers safe by encouraging them to keep their driving skills sharp and to have open and honest conversations if changes are needed.

How families can help keep senior drivers safe

Review new technologies – Today’s new vehicles are equipped with a ton of safety features like lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control. Families should review the new technologies with senior drivers, but also discuss the limitations that come with them. “All of the safety features that are on new cars are great, but they don’t replace an engaged driver,” Jarvis said.

Monitor your health – Many medical conditions, eyesight problems, and memory issues can make driving more challenging, and some medications that older people take can impair their driving ability. So, Jarvis suggests they talk to their doctor or pharmacist about safety on the road, given their medical history.

Adjust driving habits when necessary – Some seniors prefer to only drive during the day when they can see better. Many avoid highways and only take smaller, back roads on their trips. Families should discuss better routes and strategies.

Seat belts – Jarvis could not stress enough the importance of seat belts and how much they save lives in a crash. Plus, it’s the law in New Jersey. It’s a primary law for drivers and front seat passengers and a secondary law for rear-seat passengers. “In New Jersey, we have a fantastic seat belt usage rate. It’s about 93 percent,” Jarvis said.

Seek out a car fit assessment – This program, developed by AAA, AARP, and the American Occupational Therapy Association, is designed to help a senior driver fit their vehicle better. A licensed technician will do an assessment to see how far away an older driver is from the steering wheel, they will see how much of a line of sight they have above the steering wheel, and they’ll make sure the seat belt is fitted correctly.

“One thing people don’t know is that we can kind of work with you so you don’t have a blind spot. These car fit assessments are critical for senior drivers, and honestly, they’re for everybody,” Jarvis said.

Plan for Driving Retirement – Instead of just taking an older person’s car keys and stripping them of their independence, Jarvis suggests planning for their driving retirement just as you would for their financial retirement.

Plan how you’re going to get around, how you’re going to stay independent while getting errands done, going out to dinner, going to doctor’s appointments, and understanding how to use public transportation like a bus or a train.

“So that when the time comes to give up the keys, you’re better prepared to handle it and it’s not a shock,” Jarvis said.

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