Senior Drivers and How We Treat Our Elders—The Data May Surprise You.
Last fall, my father—77 years old—was driving on I-86 between American Falls and Pocatello when he looked ahead and saw a pickup barreling straight toward him. This wasn’t a mistake; the vehicle was traveling the wrong way in his lane.
He couldn’t veer left into the median—it was too steep and treacherous at that stretch of road. He couldn’t move right, because he was in the process of passing a semi-truck. In that split second, my father accepted what most of us would fear: a collision was inevitable.
But instead of panicking, he stayed calm. He waited until the pickup was nearly upon him and then steered just slightly to the right, hoping to lessen the blow. The result wasn’t a deadly head-on collision. Both drivers walked away without serious injury. My father was shaken, but unharmed. The other driver—a 33-year-old under the influence—also survived.
My dad’s composure and reflexes saved not just his own life, but likely the other driver’s too.
And yet, if this story had been viewed through the lens of age-based stereotypes, the headline might have read differently: “Elderly driver involved in collision.” Too often, senior drivers are dismissed or judged harshly, when age may have little to do with the cause of a crash.
In recent months, wrong-way freeway crashes involving seniors have sparked calls for mandatory, more frequent testing of drivers over 70. But if we follow the data—not the stereotypes—our attention should actually be on younger drivers.
According to the Idaho Department of Transportation’s 2023 crash data, the likelihood of being involved in a fatal or injury crash (compared to what would be expected based on licensure) looks like this:
15–19: 2.2× more likely
20–24: 1.4× more likely
25–34: 1.2× more likely
35–44: 1.0× — average, right at expected levels
45–54: 0.8× less likely
55–64: 0.7× less likely
65+: 0.5× significantly less likely
These numbers are striking. Teenagers and twenty-somethings are by far the most over-represented in serious crashes. Middle-aged drivers trend below average, and seniors—those 65 and older—are actually half as likely as expected to be in a fatal or injury crash. And us men…we need to shape up. We are roughly half the licensed drivers but make up 74% of all fatal crashes.
This matches common sense. As we get older, we tend to drive more carefully. We realize it’s not worth risking our lives—or our families’ lives—for a few minutes shaved off a trip. Speaking personally, I racked up far more speeding tickets in my twenties than I ever have since I turned thirty, more than a decade ago. In fact, I haven’t had one since.
So why does the conversation focus so much on seniors, when the numbers clearly point elsewhere?
Behind this debate isn’t just a question of road safety—it’s a question of respect. When we stereotype seniors as dangerous on the road, it mirrors a deeper tendency to undervalue them in society. How we talk about senior drivers reflects how we treat older people more broadly. Too often, aging is framed as decline or liability. Other cultures take a different approach:
In Japan, respect for elders is built into the culture, even celebrated nationally on Respect for the Aged Day, celebrated every year on the 3rd Monday in September.
Many European countries make elder care a shared social responsibility, ensuring seniors remain connected and supported.
Here in Idaho, senior centers and nonprofits do wonderful work. They provide meals, transportation, and community. Yet too often, funding for these organizations is cut. Instead of strengthening the networks that help seniors stay healthy and mobile, we stereotype them as unsafe and push them to the margins.
As Nelson Mandela wisely said:
“A society that does not value its older people denies its roots and endangers its future. Let us strive to enhance their capacity to support themselves for as long as possible and, when they cannot do so anymore, to care for them.”
Benjamin Franklin echoed a similar truth:
“Those who respect the elderly pave their own road toward a wise and respected old age.”
One day, all of us will join the ranks of the elderly. We’ll want the freedom to drive to church, to the grocery store, or simply to enjoy a Sunday drive.
Perhaps we would do well to start preparing for that day now—by respecting those who came before us, recording their stories, preserving our history, and ensuring they are supported, not sidelined.
My father’s quick thinking at 77 didn’t just save his life; it’s a reminder that seniors aren’t a problem to be managed. They’re a treasure to be respected. They bring experience, steadiness, and resilience that too often go unrecognized. They are not a burden—they are a blessing.
Maybe it’s time we start a Respect for the Aged Day here in Idaho, a reminder to celebrate the generations who came before us. Because one day, we’ll be in their shoes—and we’ll want the same respect, dignity, and gratitude we give today.