There are many complex reasons that car accidents happen in Florida, but one of the most unique trends happens to do with how many adults 65 and up live in our state.
Older adults have a higher likelihood of causing an accident or being involved in a fatal car wreck than the average person. The popularity of Florida for retirees and our large older adult population in general, therefore, can make our roads more risky in multiple ways.
Florida has a higher number of fatal accidents involving at least one driver over 65 than any other state, according to nonprofit transit research group TRIP. The firm’s study also notes that Florida has the second-highest number of drivers 65+ (3.3 million), and the third-highest proportion of senior drivers as a proportion of the total population: 23%.
Put together, car accidents caused by older adults in Florida present a major risk to those on the road, even if it isn’t the number one concern overall.
Examples of terrifying accidents involving older drivers include a 92-year-old driver in Gainesville, FL who crashed through a Jason’s Deli, killing a woman who was dining inside. In Spring Hill, a 65-year-old driver crashed into a Beef O’ Brady’s restaurant.
If you have been seriously injured in an accident involving an older adult in Florida, you should know that you have legal rights to pursue an insurance claim against all at-fault drivers.
Steinger, Greene & Feiner can provide you with a car accident lawyer in Florida to represent your claim and help you seek the maximum amount of compensation from all at-fault parties.
Call 800-560-5059 or contact us online now to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a Florida car accident lawyer. You will learn about your options and the best legal strategies you can use after you have been hurt in an accident with a senior citizen in Florida.
Florida Older Adult Accident Trends
19% of people who live in Florida are 65 and older, making us the state with the highest proportion of senior citizens. Four of the top ten U.S. counties with the highest concentration of 65+ adults are in Florida.
Florida also happens to be a particularly dangerous state for driving. Drivers in our state ranked dead last for safety two years in a row, according to SmartAsset surveys, and the most recent study put us in the slightly better position of eighth place.
As mentioned above, our state also has a high proportion of older drivers, and we have the highest number of fatal accidents involving drivers 65 and over.
Looking at the total number of accidents in Florida and the age groups involved, older drivers don’t seem to pose much of a problem on paper. FLHSMV statistics from 2017 show that older drivers are far from the riskiest age group in terms of their overall contribution to Florida crashes.
| Age of Driver Involved in Accident | Fatalities | Total Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 1 | 110 |
| 15-17 | 21 | 1,396 |
| 18-20 | 125 | 4,541 |
| 21-24 | 188 | 6,561 |
| 25-29 | 222 | 7,629 |
| 30-34 | 159 | 6,120 |
| 35-39 | 153 | 5,085 |
| 40-44 | 111 | 4,474 |
| 45-49 | 130 | 4,630 |
| 50-54 | 127 | 4,804 |
| 55-59 | 142 | 4,352 |
| 60-64 | 101 | 3,458 |
| 65-69 | 81 | 2,790 |
| 70-74 | 82 | 2,022 |
| 75-79 | 68 | 1,527 |
| 80-84 | 59 | 954 |
| 85-89 | 46 | 567 |
| 90+ | 28 | 254 |
Looking at the relative contribution of each age group, there is actually a downward trend in relative crash involvement as drivers age. This means that 21-29-year-olds cause a far higher percentage of crashes than any older adults 65+ in Florida.
The numbers could tell a different story when looking at the rate of crashes compared to the number of drivers in that age pool. In other words, when you adjust for the number of drivers in a given age, how likely are they to be involved in a crash that causes injuries or death? We don’t have these numbers available for Florida, but there are some interesting studies for drivers nationwide.
A study by AAA found that 16-17-year-olds have the highest rates of all crashes and crashes that cause injury of any age group. Crash rates generally go down as drivers age from 18-69, but they do tend to go back up from 70+.
However, drivers 80+ tend to have the highest rate of fatal accident involvement. This is mostly because the driver died of their injuries in the accident. Adults over 80 are extremely susceptible to infection and other complications from any sorts of injuries, especially those acquired in a major crash.
Contact a Florida Car Accident Lawyer if You Have Been Hurt in a Crash with an Older Adult
Despite the fact that older adults do not disproportionately cause accidents compared to the population as a whole, they still pose risks on Florida roads.
Any time you have been hurt in an accident caused by someone else, including someone 65 and over, you owe it to yourself and your family to pursue the maximum amount of compensation available for your injuries.
A Florida car accident attorney can assist you with filing an insurance claim and exploring all of your options for pursuing third-party liability claims from all at-fault drivers.
Call 800-560-5059 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation today.