State report: Car crashes with older drivers increasing

Gongwer News Service, reporting on a new state study, said today (April 5): "Older drivers tend to have more difficulty turning left at intersections, especially at night, as well as with visibility of signs, road edging and other conditions, a report from the Department of Transportation said, and safety could be improved with changes to intersection geometry, better lighting, use of medians and more visible signage.

"The report says the number of drivers age 65 and older involved in crashes has increased, especially as the state's population of older individuals has increased. However, the percentage of older drivers involved in crashes has increased somewhat faster than the overall increase of older people in the population.

"The report, which was conducted by Western Michigan University for MDOT, shows motorist safety issues will increase, as the state's percentage of population of people 65 and older should hit at least 20 percent by 2030."