OK, this one is going to raise some eyebrows, elderly drivers vs. teenage drivers, who’s the worst? The little old lady who can barely look over the steering wheel wearing those giant sunglasses strong enough for a welder or the pimple face wearing his Hollister Dude gear texting his Betty without even having to look at the keys on the phone? Which is more likely to slam into you?
Yes, there are some eighty and even ninety year olds who are good drivers and there are teenage drivers who don’t text message while driving; they probably had it taken away by their parents as punishment. On average, which of the two do you think would be most likely to cause a ten car pile up on the freeway?
Let’s compare the two age groups in question: 16-20 and the 65+
According to the National Highway Traffic Administration in 2007, the driver involvement rates for fatal crashes per 100,000 of the population showed the 16-20 year age group as the second highest out of all the age groups with 21-24 being the highest. Young drivers tend to take more chances and are less experienced behind the wheel. The 65+ age group had the fewest fatalities; yes, with time comes wisdom, for some anyway. So next time you see a Hummer full of high school cheerleaders or a Cadillac full of Bingo ladies, beware of the other drivers, you should drive as though you are the only sane one out there.
Let me know what you think and next week we will have round two: the male driver vs. the female driver, who will win?
Take care-
Danny Keaton