Records show Arizona has 77 active drivers who are 100 years old or older, even as the state requires all motorists 70 and older to renew their licenses in person and pass a vision test as well as road or written tests if necessary. A recent national study showed older drivers do not pose as much threat on the road as expected.

A study released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in December revealed that older drivers' involvement in fatal crashes declined 21 percent from 1997 to 2006. The decline occurred even as the number of older drivers grew 10 percent and their annual mileage increased 29 percent. An IIHS spokeswoman says reasons are unclear, but may include safety features in newer cars, older drivers’ choosing to limit nighttime driving or make other adjustments, and their improved health, which makes them better able to survive a crash. However the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says because older drivers still drive fewer miles annually than younger people do, their fatal crash rate per mile traveled is second only to the youngest drivers.

Older Drivers’ Safety On the Rise (Arizona Republic 8/18/09)

August 26, 2009