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In 1994, pedestrian
crashes took the lives of 1,249 senior adults, ages 65 and older. That year,
6,850 older adults were also injured as pedestrians.
The risk of dying in a
pedestrian crash increases with age. Pedestrians, ages 65 and older, are two
to eight times more likely to die than younger people when struck by motor
vehicles. This is partly because older people are often less physically
resilient. Approximately 15 percent of pedestrians 65 and older die after
being hit by a motor vehicle. Population shifts
indicate that this is a growing problem. Currently older pedestrians comprise
23 percent of all pedestrian facilities while representing only 13 percent of
the total U.S. population. Older adults are projected to account for 17
percent of the U.S. population by the year 2020. If the current injury and
fatality rates remain the same, the current annual count of 9,000 elderly
pedestrians injured and killed will increase to more than 16,000 by 2020. Older pedestrians,
compared to other age groups, face higher crash and fatality rates at
intersections, while walking near backing vehicles and during winter months
in general, due in part to lowered visibility. Something Can Be Done Senior pedestrians can
help by making themselves more visible, making eye-contact with drivers and
being alert for backing vehicles and parked cars that may be about to move.
Law enforcement agencies can be encouraged to enforce speed limits in
pedestrian zones and to ensure that right-turning drivers yield to
pedestrians. Community improvements include: the addition of sidewalks and
walkways; lengthened traffic walk signals in areas where older people live
and walk; raised medians and curb cuts for wide streets; and the removal of
ice and snow from sidewalks during winter months. |
