The age distribution of New Zealand's population is changing. The ageing of 'baby boomers' mean people over the age of 65 are expected to make up about 25 per cent of the population from the late 2030s.
Figure 1: Age distribution of population
(From Statistics New Zealand, Demographic Aspects of New Zealand's Ageing Population, 2006)
Medical care and technology has improved, meaning many older people are living longer and driving longer than a generation ago. This means that there is an increase in the number of drivers who will have medical conditions or are on strong medication.
People tend to get physically frailer with age, meaning older drivers are more likely to be injured or die following a crash than younger people.
Health problems including diminishing vision, physical and/or cognitive abilities can make driving more difficult and risky. For example, older drivers may find night vision deteriorates which leads to difficulty detecting/assessing hazards at night.
Older drivers are unlikely to have had any driver education for many years, meaning there may be gaps in general knowledge about the road code and new road rules.
Common older driver crash situations:
- Side–impact crashes at intersections are more common among older drivers. The side panels of cars are weak and this combined with older road users' physical frailty means the occupants are placed at greater risk of injury in this type of crash.
- Fatigue related crashes, especially when driving in the mid-afternoon.
- Driver error eg foot on accelerator instead of brake.
- Most driving fatalities among older adults occur in the daytime.
During 2005-2009 senior road users (75 years and over) made up:
- 5.7% of population.
- 4.6% of licensed drivers.
- 9% of fatalities.
- 4% of all injuries.
- Have a fatality rate of 15/100,000 (2007 figures).
In 2009 senior road users (75 years and over) accounted for:
- 586 injuries
- 37 deaths.
