The fact that younger Americans are far less interested in driving than older generation has been known for a while now, due to a series of factors that include increased environmental awareness, the rise of car-sharing and ride-sharing, as well as unfavorable economic conditions. This is starting to reflect in age demographics among drivers on U.S. roads, which is confirmed by statistics that were recently released by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). According to a new report published by the FHWA, older drivers have reached peak levels, with almost half of them aged over 50.
The FHWA analyzed data from 2013, and found that there were 212 million drivers in the U.S. that year, 93.5 of which, or 44 percent, were over 50. This is a 22 percent increase over the number of drivers over 50 in 2003, or about 0.5% over 2012. These statistics will be used by the U.S. Department of Transportation to create a 30-year transportation plan called Beyond Traffic, that aims to offer solutions for overcoming the challenges the country’s transportation network will face in the following decades.
One particularly important fact cited in the Beyond Traffic plan is the projection that by 2045, the number of drivers aged 65 or older will grow by a whopping 77 percent. Automakers and authorities should make note of this fact, because it means that vehicles should be much safer and easier to maneuver by older people, and roads should be designed to cater to older drivers who usually drive slower and have difficulties seeing and recognizing road signs.
“From brighter, more visible highway signs and lane markings to pedestrian countdown signals, our research has done much to keep America’s aging population safe,” said Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau. “We are far from done. Because safety is our top priority, we hope to increase transportation investments to build on the gains we’ve already made.”
The FHWA report goes on to state that people age 85 and older are the fastest-growing driver demographic. In 2013, there were 3.48 million drivers within this age group, an increase of almost 50% over 1998.
On top of data about the age of U.S. drivers, the FHWA released statistics on the number of vehicles registered nationwide in 2013, which increased by about 2 million compared to the year before. There were 255 million vehicles on U.S. roads in 2013, up from 253 million in 2012.
With these statistics in mind, automakers are expected to focus more on trying to meet older drivers’ needs, and start installing more safety features that can help the elderly stay safe while on the road, which will surely include collision-avoidance technologies and other advanced driver assistance systems.