For Immediate Release
June 22, 2010
Contact: AARP Media Relations, (202) 434-2560, media@aarp.org
AARP: New Roadway Safety Report ‘Refutes Stubborn Stereotypes About Older Drivers’
“[A]ge by itself does not cause car crashes.”
WASHINGTON, DC - AARP Senior Vice President Elinor Ginzler issued the following statement in response to a new report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which found that crash rates for older drivers dropped from 1997- 2008, despite the increase of older Americans behind the wheel due to America’s aging population.
“AARP is delighted that one of the most trusted authorities on car and driver safety continues to refute stubborn stereotypes about older drivers with new data. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reported today that crash rates for older drivers have gone down over the last decade, defying predictions that older driver crashes would go up as the American population ages.
“The new IIHS report reinforces what safety experts already know: age by itself doesn’t cause car crashes. Most older drivers are safe drivers and exercise personal responsibility – the report found that many older drivers were limiting their own driving at night and on high-speed roads.
“At a time of pervasive new driver distractions – like cell phones, texting and even dvd players – the self-awareness, attentiveness and judgment of most older drivers should reassure other drivers on the roadways. We all want the roads to be safe and we each have a personal responsibility to make sure that we are the safest drivers we can be."
To support older drivers, AARP offers a driver safety refresher course both online and in a classroom setting. For more information about the AARP Driver Safety Program or to find a nearby class, go to www.aarp.org/drive.
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 35.7 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's millions of members and Americans 50+; AARP VIVA, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
