Abstract

The effect of aging on fatal accident characteristics of male and female drivers was investigated using Finnish fatal-accident case study material from the period 1984-1990. Age-bound changes in accident characteristics (e.g., increase of at-fault accidents and of collisions in intersections) appeared in both sexes but seemed to affect female drivers at an earlier age and to a higher degree. When the sexes differed in accident characteristics, those of female drivers were more like the ones typically found in older drivers. The female drivers were also both quantitatively and qualitatively less experienced as drivers than their male counterparts. Thus, the lower resistance of women to the effects of aging on driving may be explained by their lower skill level. In future cohorts of old drivers, decrease of sex differences in experience will presumably attenuate the sex differences in accident characteristics.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Hakamies-Blomqvist L

Institution

University of Helsinki, Finland.

Source

Journal of gerontology 49:6 1994 Nov pg S286-90

MeSH

Accidents, Traffic
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging
Alcoholic Intoxication
Attention
Automobile Driving
Female
Finland
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Safety
Sex Factors
Time Factors

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

7963285