Although negative stereotypes about elderly drivers persist, a fair amount of evidence seems to debunk the notion that younger drivers are safer than elderly motorists.  A number of studies indicate that the experience, caution, and judgment that comes with age might trump age-related declines in vision, reflexes, and mental acuity.  Admittedly, advanced age can have an adverse impact on mental and physical driving ability, but age-related traffic safety data indicates that the aging U.S. population does not necessarily mean a rise in motor vehicle accident rates or fatalities.

Multiple studies suggests that traditional assumptions about the relationship between aging and driving ability might not tell the whole story.  Empirical research from a range of studies indicates a number of age-related factors that reduce the risk of crashes involving seniors when compared to young drivers.  The tendency of elderly drivers to avoid high risk behavior is one of the most significant.

While there are many factors that contribute to auto accidents, the most significant cause involves high risk driving behavior.  Two of the most prominent forms of risky driving involve substance impairment and distracted driving.  Alcohol and drug impaired drivers account for approximately one in three traffic fatalities per year according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).  Although distractions like mobile phones do not claim as many lives, distracted driving is perhaps the fastest growing cause of injuries and deaths in vehicle collisions.

A study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that elderly drivers are far less likely than younger motorists to engage in high risk driving practices like distracted driving.  While more than eight in ten drivers (82 percent) between the ages of 25 and 39 admitted to talking on their mobile phone while operating a motor vehicle, a mere 34 percent of drivers over the age of 75 affirmed that they engaged in this type of multi-tasking.  Similarly, a survey conducted by State Farm found that nearly half (48 percent) of drivers between the age of 18 and 29 confirmed using their phone to surf the web while driving.  By contrast, this extremely dangerous driving behavior is almost unheard of among elderly drivers.  Approximately 98 percent of older drivers in the AAA study denied ever using a portable electronic device to search the Internet while operating a motor vehicle.

Older drivers also tend to avoid other high risk driving behaviors that cause car accidents.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that almost one-fourth (24 percent) of drivers between the ages of 21 and 64 who were involved in a fatal car accident had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over the legal limit of .08 percent.  Among drivers over the age of 64, the number of drivers involved in a fatal crash with a BAC over the legal limit for drunk driving was only 7 percent.

Seniors over the age of 65 are less prone than younger drivers to engage in other high risk driving practices according to the CDC.  While 34 percent of drivers under the age of 65 who are involved in fatal crashes were not wearing a seat belt, only 24 percent of elderly drivers involved in deadly crashes were not buckled up.  Elderly drivers also limit their driving at night and in adverse weather conditions when compared to younger drivers.

If you or a loved one suffers injury in a motor vehicle accident caused by a careless driver, you might be entitled to compensation.  Our experienced Kansas City Accident Attorneys at Hubbard and Kurtz L.L.P. have over 80 years of collective legal experience.  We offer a free consultation to evaluate your case, so we invite you to call us today at 877-535-1163 or email us to schedule a time to discuss your auto accident claim.

We are quickly becoming a nation of multi-taskers. In very few aspects of our lives, are we allowed to focus on completing just one task at a time.  Rather, we are always trying to juggle several tasks at once. However, the inherent problem with multi-tasking is that our energy is being divided between at least two different tasks. This means that we cannot pay simultaneous attention to two separate tasks at the same time and thus mistakes are bound to happen. That is why distracted driving is such a problem. If you are unsure as to what distracted driving is, and why it is such a problem, you need to become informed. The following are some of the most frequently asked questions motorists have about distracted driving:

What is distracted driving and why is it a problem?

A driver is considered to be a “distracted driver” when he or she is engaged in a task that takes his or her focus away from driving. Tasks can be visually distracting (eyes off the road), manually distracting (at least one hand not on the steering wheel) and/or cognitively distracting (mind not engaged on driving). Not only are distracted drivers less able to respond appropriately to other drivers and/or obstacles on the road, they also are the cause of accidents.

How is eating or drinking less dangerous than using a cell phone to talk or text?

Distracted driving of any type is dangerous. However, cell phone usage is especially dangerous because of the number of ways it impairs a driver. For example, drinking a cup of coffee physically impairs a driver in that the driver cannot have two hands on the steering wheel, since one hand is holding the cup of coffee. In contrast, when a driver uses a cell phone to text, the driver is impaired in all three areas of distraction. He or she is not only holding the phone with his or her hand, he or she is also using their eyes to look at the screen and thinking about the message to send or the words he or she is saying.

Hands-free devices make talking on a cell phone while driving safer, right?

In some states where cell phone usage is prohibited while driving, using a hands-free device is allowed. While hands-free devices do keep a driver’s hands on the wheel, the biggest problem is that the driver’s brain is still not 100% focused on the task of driving. When a driver is using a cell phone his or her mind is focused on the conversation he or she is having and therefore, the driver is not able to devote his or her full attention to the road.

How large of a problem is distracted driving?

According to the government website distraction.gov, it is estimated that more than 660,000 drivers are using a hand-held cell phone at any given time during daylight hours. Moreover, according to data collected by The National Safety Council, approximately 1 in 4 accidents involve a driver that was using a cell phone to talk or text.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries after being involved in an accident with a distracted driver, the experienced Kansas City Accident Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. can help. Our team of seasoned Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys will make sure that your rights are protected. We will fight hard to make sure that you receive the compensation you deserve. Trust the Personal Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. to help you, just as they have helped countless injured victims around the area, both in Kansas and Missouri. To find out how the attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. can help you, call our office today at (816) 472-4673 to schedule a consultation. At Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. we look forward to providing injury victims with exceptional legal services.