Open AccessExploring older driver crash trend: New Jersey case study
Author(s) -
Trieu Vanvi,
Park Seri,
McFadden John
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the journal of engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2051-3305
DOI - 10.1049/joe.2014.0030
Subject(s) - crash , pedestrian , population , transport engineering , climate change , function (biology) , business , engineering , computer science , environmental health , medicine , ecology , biology , programming language , evolutionary biology
Older drivers age 65 and above are known to experience greater risk on the roadway as well as increasing the risk to other roadway users. Within the next 20 years, their population is expected to increase from 41 million in 2011 to 70 million in 2030. To address this foreseeable change, the nation's recent Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP‐21) act requires state and local governments to examine older drivers and pedestrian risks and implement countermeasures as appropriate. This research was conducted to assist agencies in strategising for future plans, programmes and initiatives to better address the problem presented. This was accomplished by performing a detailed engineering analysis on crash data of older drivers over a 10‐year period (2003–2012) from the state of New Jersey to identify crash trends and characteristics. A major finding from this research was the increase in fatal crashes of older drivers as a function of age. Top‐ranking collision types with other vehicles and non‐vehicles were identified. Crashes as a function of seasonal change, climate and lighting conditions were also examined.