92 Year Old’s Crash Could Raise Auto Insurance

By: Mike Silverstone, Car Insurance Analyst
CheaperCarInsurance.com

Yesterday, two elderly California women were taken to the hospital in serious condition after their car ran into a garage in La Playa. Both women are 92 years old. The driver was unable to get out of the car until firefighters arrived to help her, while the other managed to climb out alone. Not surprisingly, the driver’s auto insurance premiums will likely skyrocket after the incident.

Neighbors were having a barbeque when they heard the crash, which demolished one side of the garage door and knocked the wall off its foundation. The women were no strangers to the area; they actually lived right across the street and were returning from grocery shopping when the crash occurred.

Higher Auto Insurance for the Elderly

An area that has been contended for years is an upper age limit to driving. Accidents like the garage crash increase auto insurance rates and have been the cause of much controversy as to whether or not the elderly should be allowed to drive. Some have gone so far as to suggest regular driving tests after a certain age.

Elderly drivers have an increased number of:

• Multi-car crashes
• Single car crashes
• Building collisions
• Pedestrian accidents (where they run over or hit a pedestrian)

A large number of insurance companies increase premiums as drivers age, since there is a higher likelihood of accidents with the elderly. In some areas, you will find “mature driver” discounts which are designed to offset the higher rates, but some argue that this is a bad idea and that we need to be more vigilant of the elderly on the road. Age can affect many things, including:

• Reflexes
• Vision
• Ability to perceive dangers
• Speed perception

All of these factors are very important when driving. As the two retired schoolteachers in La Playa discovered, even a simple drive home from the market can turn into a disaster in a split second. While anyone can lose control, statistics indicate the elderly tend to have more difficulties in this area.

The garage accident is being investigated, but at the moment, the cause of the vehicle running into the garage is still unknown.

How Old is Too Old?

The women in La Playa were lucky. They escaped with injuries only to themselves and destruction of a garage. Others haven’t been so fortunate. In 2006, George Russell Weller, 89, was convicted of vehicular manslaughter after he plowed into a farmer’s market in 2003. The result? He killed ten people and injured over 70. The cause was thought to be that Weller accelerated instead of using the brake.

There are many other incidences of elderly drivers crashing, due to poor reflexes or failure to use the brake when necessary. In 2009, two different drivers hit and killed people. One 89 year old woman crashed into the lobby of a medical building, striking a man who later died of his injuries. A 72 year old man in New Canaan hit and killed a motorcyclist and an 89 year old hit a teenager in his hometown. These incidents are not isolated and while they do increase auto insurance premiums, many feel that this is not enough and yearly testing needs to be done to determine who is still fit to drive.

When should the testing begin? The general consensus is that 70 would be a good age to start with yearly testing. Insurance companies could also lower their auto premiums for the elderly who have passed the test with flying colors, resulting in more affordable insurance rates for everyone involved. It would also increase safety on the road, for the elderly and others.

Posted: March 17, 2010