Older adults have become a larger part of the driving population, but whether they are at increased risk of being involved in fatal crashes remains unclear. METHODS We performed a… Click to show full abstract
Older adults have become a larger part of the driving population, but whether they are at increased risk of being involved in fatal crashes remains unclear. METHODS We performed a systematic review of studies investigating fatal crash involvement of older vs non-older drivers by searching the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, LILACS, SciELO, Web of Science, and ProQuest. Studies that used fatal crash involvement rates per distance driven as a measure of frequency were selected for meta-analysis. RESULTS We analyzed 14 studies published between 2001 and 2018. Of these, 12 reported a higher rate of fatal crashes involving older drivers than non-older drivers; 9 of them used involvement rates per distance driven, which is considered the most appropriate metric. The meta-analysis revealed high heterogeneity between studies. The meta-regression attributed 40% of the heterogeneity to age (older vs non-older drivers) (p<0.005). CONCLUSION Age appears to be associated with higher driver involvement rates for fatal crashes among older persons.
               
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