Seniors who are involved in car crashes often suffer more serious injuries than younger people. Common crash injuries like traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries and even broken ribs and other fractures can be more dangerous for older bodies.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), drivers 75 and older are four times more likely to suffer fatal injuries in crashes than even middle-age drivers. One of the reasons for this disparity is that older drivers are more likely to be driving older cars. These cars are in some ways sturdier than newer ones, which sometimes seem to crumple in a relatively minor “fender bender.” However, vehicles that are many decades old lack the safety features that most drivers take for granted now.
Old cars lack numerous safety features
Besides basic features that all new cars have, like airbags and seat belt alarms, older cars lack features like:
- Automatic emergency braking
- Blind spot monitoring
- Electronic stability control (ESC)
- Forward collision warning
- Rear-view cameras
There are new features being added every year.
Since many seniors are on a fixed income, they may be less likely to trade in that old Buick or Lincoln, even if it is a gas guzzler, for a new one as long as theirs still gets them where they’re going, which may be just around town. Even if they get a new car, they’re often likely to pay attention to the price than to safety ratings and features.
It’s crucial to understand that even if a person’s age or the age of their car results in more serious injuries than a younger person in a newer car might have suffered, that doesn’t mean they don’t have a right to the compensation to cover their medical costs and other expenses and damages from those responsible for their harm. That’s where having experienced legal guidance after a crash caused by a negligent or reckless driver can make all the difference.
