Fatality Facts 2022Older people

Overview

In 2020, motor vehicle crashes accounted for less than 1% of fatalities among people 70 and older (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2021).

People ages 70 and older are less likely to be licensed to drive compared with younger people, and drivers 70 and older also drive fewer miles. However, older drivers are keeping their licenses longer and driving more miles than in the past.

Per mile traveled, fatal crash rates increase noticeably starting at age 70-74 and are highest among drivers 85 and older. The increased fatal crash risk among older drivers is largely due to their increased susceptibility to injury, particularly chest injuries, and medical complications, rather than an increased tendency to get into crashes (Cicchino, 2015).

The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

Posted June 2024.

Population and mileage rates

Looked at by age group, 2022 motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 population begin increasing for males at ages 75-79 and females at age 70-74. Males had substantially higher death rates than females for ages 16 and older.

Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 people by age and sex, 2022

Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 people by age and sex, 2022
AgeMaleFemaleTotal
PopulationDeathsRatePopulationDeathsRatePopulationDeaths*Rate
<16 32,661,995 767 2.3 31,171,958 567 1.8 63,833,953 1,336 2.1
16-19 8,828,942 1,679 19.0 8,410,284 723 8.6 17,239,226 2,406 14.0
20-24 11,601,988 3,036 26.2 11,103,791 1,099 9.9 22,705,779 4,140 18.2
25-29 11,352,742 3,069 27.0 10,840,422 1,015 9.4 22,193,164 4,088 18.4
30-34 11,836,820 2,930 24.8 11,471,316 1,079 9.4 23,308,136 4,016 17.2
35-39 11,302,300 2,651 23.5 10,965,649 867 7.9 22,267,949 3,521 15.8
40-44 10,817,889 2,397 22.2 10,609,527 783 7.4 21,427,416 3,181 14.8
45-49 9,844,989 2,056 20.9 9,779,109 704 7.2 19,624,098 2,762 14.1
50-54 10,434,641 2,177 20.9 10,372,906 747 7.2 20,807,547 2,926 14.1
55-59 10,373,923 2,222 21.4 10,593,091 771 7.3 20,967,014 2,999 14.3
60-64 10,297,980 2,241 21.8 10,820,443 724 6.7 21,118,423 2,968 14.1
65-69 8,873,901 1,707 19.2 9,757,521 635 6.5 18,631,422 2,345 12.6
70-74 7,036,771 1,348 19.2 8,120,246 597 7.4 15,157,017 1,946 12.8
75-79 4,909,686 993 20.2 5,951,314 548 9.2 10,861,000 1,543 14.2
80-84 2,825,159 663 23.5 3,834,386 403 10.5 6,659,545 1,070 16.1
≥85 2,283,827 633 27.7 4,202,041 429 10.2 6,485,868 1,067 16.5

Using miles traveled data from the National Household Travel Survey, the rate of passenger vehicle driver fatal crash involvements per 100 million miles traveled in 2016-17 begins to increase at ages 70-74. Drivers 85 and older had the highest rate of fatal crash involvement during that period.

Passenger vehicle fatal crash involvements per 100 million miles traveled by driver age, April 1, 2016 - March 31, 2017

Passenger vehicle fatal crash rates per 100 million miles traveled, by driver age, April 1, 2016 - March 31, 2017
AgeCrash involvementsMilesRate
16-19 3,023 62,410,423,548 4.8
20-24 5,615 172,158,820,127 3.3
25-29 4,963 213,487,256,997 2.3
30-34 4,052 228,055,122,817 1.8
35-39 3,290 235,513,924,779 1.4
40-44 2,933 221,981,057,921 1.3
45-49 2,868 211,720,351,245 1.4
50-54 2,954 229,997,362,385 1.3
55-59 2,791 216,227,224,007 1.3
60-64 2,397 195,073,278,082 1.2
65-69 2,003 149,557,419,942 1.3
70-74 1,468 87,458,953,733 1.7
75-79 1,094 51,982,073,748 2.1
80-84 882 20,669,598,896 4.3
≥85 858 11,313,581,400 7.6
Total* 41,234 2,307,606,449,627 1.8

Crash types

Among passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2022, the proportion in multiple-vehicle crashes at intersections increases steadily with age starting at 65-69. Multiple-vehicle crashes at intersections accounted for 39% of fatal crash involvements among drivers 80 and older, compared with 21% for drivers ages 16-59.

Passenger vehicle drivers in fatal crashes by age and crash type, 2022
AgeMultiple-vehicle intersection crashesOther multiple-vehicle crashes Single-vehicle intersection crashes Other single-vehicle crashes All crashes*
Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%
16-19 779 24 1,065 33 177 6 1,191 37 3,212 100
20-24 1,138 21 2,171 39 308 6 1,933 35 5,550 100
25-29 1,042 20 2,160 42 261 5 1,670 33 5,133 100
30-34 972 20 2,086 42 275 6 1,629 33 4,962 100
35-39 876 20 1,891 44 201 5 1,323 31 4,291 100
40-44 812 22 1,589 42 190 5 1,148 31 3,739 100
45-49 656 21 1,437 45 124 4 951 30 3,168 100
50-54 686 22 1,314 43 153 5 927 30 3,080 100
55-59 665 22 1,310 44 173 6 853 28 3,001 100
60-64 601 22 1,173 43 144 5 796 29 2,714 100
65-69 597 27 928 42 95 4 607 27 2,227 100
70-74 562 30 708 38 75 4 509 27 1,854 100
75-79 475 33 523 36 62 4 388 27 1,448 100
80-84 324 34 345 36 49 5 232 24 950 100
≥85 367 46 234 29 36 4 165 21 802 100

Pedestrians

Among adults 70 and older, the rate of pedestrian deaths per 100,000 population in 2022 was lowest for people ages 85 and above. For ages 13 and older, the rate of pedestrian deaths per capita was higher for males than females.

Pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people by age and sex, 2022
AgeMaleFemaleTotal
PopulationDeathsRatePopulationDeathsRatePopulationDeaths*Rate
<13 25,981,412 78 0.3 24,812,058 63 0.3 50,793,470 141 0.3
13-15 6,680,583 45 0.7 6,359,900 32 0.5 13,040,483 77 0.6
16-19 8,828,942 108 1.2 8,410,284 67 0.8 17,239,226 175 1.0
20-24 11,601,988 285 2.5 11,103,791 140 1.3 22,705,779 426 1.9
25-29 11,352,742 423 3.7 10,840,422 170 1.6 22,193,164 594 2.7
30-34 11,836,820 457 3.9 11,471,316 223 1.9 23,308,136 683 2.9
35-39 11,302,300 518 4.6 10,965,649 175 1.6 22,267,949 694 3.1
40-44 10,817,889 468 4.3 10,609,527 189 1.8 21,427,416 657 3.1
45-49 9,844,989 382 3.9 9,779,109 162 1.7 19,624,098 545 2.8
50-54 10,434,641 427 4.1 10,372,906 152 1.5 20,807,547 581 2.8
55-59 10,373,923 490 4.7 10,593,091 163 1.5 20,967,014 657 3.1
60-64 10,297,980 519 5.0 10,820,443 172 1.6 21,118,423 694 3.3
65-69 8,873,901 360 4.1 9,757,521 140 1.4 18,631,422 502 2.7
70-74 7,036,771 277 3.9 8,120,246 123 1.5 15,157,017 400 2.6
75-79 4,909,686 179 3.6 5,951,314 95 1.6 10,861,000 275 2.5
80-84 2,825,159 116 4.1 3,834,386 62 1.6 6,659,545 181 2.7
≥85 2,283,827 98 4.3 4,202,041 41 1.0 6,485,868 139 2.1

Alcohol

Ten percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers 70 years and older in 2022 had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or above 0.08%, compared with 21% for drivers ages 60-69 and 37% for drivers ages 16-59.

Fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with BAC ≥ 0.08% by age, 2022
AgeDrivers killedEstimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.08
NumberNumber%
16-59 years 14,077 5,223 37
60-69 years 2,340 500 21
≥70 years 3,085 305 10