The accident statistics (I can help find them if you want) are that accident risk goes down steadily until (IIRC) mid 60s, and only increases above the risk of 20-30 year olds at a very advanced age in your 80s.
There are two things going on:
Young people, especially young men are on average significantly more reckless than older people. This is a direct way in which age “grants you better driving capability” - you just become less of an idiot.
Young people on average have less driving experience than older people. That’s not a direct result of age but it does correlate.
These are different processes but they can both be targeted for safety measures.
Also a nice dose of survivorship bias! All those old people survived the gauntlet of driving for decades (even in much less safe vehicles) without losing life or license, so safer drivers are more represented.
The accident statistics (I can help find them if you want) are that accident risk goes down steadily until (IIRC) mid 60s, and only increases above the risk of 20-30 year olds at a very advanced age in your 80s.
There are two things going on:
These are different processes but they can both be targeted for safety measures.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-older-and-younger-driver-factsheets-2023/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-older-driver-factsheet-2023
Just plonking this here for ease of conversation.
Looks pretty obvious to me that something needs done about old folk’s driving.
Also a nice dose of survivorship bias! All those old people survived the gauntlet of driving for decades (even in much less safe vehicles) without losing life or license, so safer drivers are more represented.
Old people drive less as well
But the statistics are per (billion) miles traveled, not per person.