GEORGIA MOTOR-VEHICLE CRASH DATA FACT SHEET
* In Georgia, motor vehicle crashes account for the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths among older adults age 65 and older
* From 2000-2003, older drivers had the second leading rate of crashes involving at least one fatality in Georgia (Georgia Accident "Crash" Database, 2004)
* In 2003, 150 (66%) of the 229 older drivers involved in crashes in Georgia died.
* In 2003, persons over age 74 were almost four times more likely to be killed than younger persons under age 65 (Georgia DMVS 1996-2003 CASI Report)
* The number of driver ages 65-74 in fatal crashes increased 29.1 percent and the rate increased 5.0 percent (Georgia DMVS 1996-2003 CASI Report)
* In Georgia, turning left and going straight pose the greatest crash risk for older drivers in all crashes. In crashes involving at least one fatality, left hand turns appear to be a specific risk for older drivers, especially for those age 75 and older (Georgia Accident "Crash" Database, 2004 and the Older Driver Safety Program, PowerPoint Presentation, 2004)
* The top three citations issued to older drivers (65+) in Georgia, in 2004, were 1) following too closely (26%), 2) failure to yield turing left (14%) and 3) failure to yield when entering and crossing the road (9%) (Georgia Accident "Crash" Database, 2004)
* In Georgia, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. are the days and time of the week when older drivers have the highest driver fatality rates (Georgia Accident "Crash" Database, 2004)
* In 2003, Georgia spent more than $34 million dollars to treat injuries sustained by older adults in a crash (Georgia Hospital Discharge Database, 2003)