With age comes life experience and wisdom. But getting older also tends to mean your body is not as strong or healthy as it used to be. While people of all ages can get seriously hurt in a car accident, seniors are especially vulnerable.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drivers and passengers aged 75 and older are more likely to die in a traffic collision than people aged 35-54. The CDC believes this is because seniors are less able to withstand the violent impact than younger adults. In 2018 alone, an average of nearly 700 people age 65-plus were injured in accidents each day. Nearly 20 were killed, on average.
Seniors living in Jacksonville have different levels of health and physical fitness. But as we get older, we become at risk of osteoporosis, a condition that makes bones weak and brittle. A crash that a younger person might walk away from can fracture a hip or spinal bone in an older victim. Or, if the person has a preexisting condition like a bad back, getting caught in a wreck can easily make it worse.
How seniors can protect themselves
The CDC recommends that older drivers do three things to protect themselves:
- Always wear a seatbelt
- Avoid driving at night or in bad weather as much as possible
- Don’t drink and drive
Still, no matter how careful you are, you cannot control what other motorists are doing. The person behind you might be distracted by their cellphone and hit you from behind at the next red light. Or someone could try to pass you too close and clip you on the side. However it happens, a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence can leave you with serious injuries. If you survive, you could end up disabled, in terrible pain and reliant on loved ones for help with everyday tasks.