Groups Most at Risk for Car Accidents: A Look at the Demographics

Crashes and other car accidents occur because of a wide range of factors, including the number of involved parties, the actions of one or more drivers or vulnerable road users, and external man-made or natural influences. That said, specific groups of drivers are at higher risk than others. These groups are also at higher risk of causing or suffering injuries or fatalities.

Nighttime and Twilight Drivers

As noted on the National Security Council’s “Driving at Night” page, the National Sleep Foundation has reported that more than 100 million drivers fall asleep while driving on American highways and byways each year. More than 60% of polled adult drivers have admitted to driving while sleepy, and 4% of that group admitted to causing crashes while asleep.

These numbers matter because the majority of near misses and crashes typically occur either at night or during twilight hours when drivers are more likely to be fatigued and deal with rush-hour conditions and evening and weekend traffic. During these time periods, they’re also more likely to deal with a high number of drivers and pedestrians under the influence of alcohol or drugs, distracted after enjoying entertainment venues, and reduced overall visibility.

Nighttime drivers must contend with gray or dim pre-dusk light that can exacerbate fatigue and visibility problems, glare from increasing light near dawn, headlight glare from drivers who refuse to turn off high beams, and, in many scenarios, roads with limited to no extra light beyond a driver’s headlights. At night, drivers must also worry about pets and wild animals and fatigued or speeding big rig drivers suddenly crossing their paths.

Elderly and Senior Drivers

Many elderly and senior drivers limit their driving time and avoid risky situations, such as driving long distances from home or at night. Although these drivers are less at risk for causing fatal crashes, they’re still a high overall risk group. As noted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), these drivers keep their licenses and remain on the roads longer than in previous years.

Since elderly and senior drivers believe their licenses and motor vehicles represent autonomy and personal freedom, they’re more likely to try to drive even when it’s no longer recommended based on their age, health or other concerns. These drivers are also more likely to be in crashes that involve angles, intersections, merging and passing than any other age group.

Many elderly and senior drivers believe that other traffic must yield for them because of their age, which is why they’re often involved in failure-to-yield crashes. Additionally, age-related hearing and vision problems, slower awareness and reaction time, and mobility issues contribute to accidents. These drivers can experience a sudden cognitive issue or other emergency medical event caused by age, health status, increased natural fatigue, or medication at any time. They can become distracted by bright lights and sounds and have reduced awareness while driving more carefully and hesitantly at night and on unfamiliar roads.

New and Inexperienced Drivers

People with limited driving experience, such as teens and adults who never needed to learn until later in life, risk their lives and the lives of others every day while they gain experience. Inexperienced drivers from any age group make critical errors. Without certain habits that only form via hands-on experience over time, they often forget to perform standard vehicle safety checks before taking trips and drive in extremely unsafe conditions.

Young drivers in their teens and early twenties pose some of the highest accident risks, often due to inexperience, over-confidence and distractions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teens ages 16 to 19 pose a greater risk of having a crash than drivers of any other age, even though most of their actions and behaviors are entirely preventable.

As they experience physical changes that rapidly shift their emotions and moods and reduce their impulse control and ability to make logical decisions, they can become uncoordinated behind the wheel. They often take unnecessary risks, such as abusing alcohol or drugs, driving without a seat belt, performing actions known to cause distraction, and speeding above minimum legal limits.