Retirees may be more at risk of getting into a car accident in certain states, according to a new study.
Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers has released a study examining the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's crash data over a seven-year period. They then looked at the number of accidents involving people aged 65 and up in each state, calculating crash rates using a fixed denominator of 100,000 to account for population differences. In the end, they found that some states were worse for retired drivers than others. Here's what they learned.
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The state of Wyoming came in fifth on the list, thanks to a crash rate of 35 per 100,000. During the time frame when the data were collected, 154 car crashes involved drivers aged 65 or older.
That figure accounts for almost 20 percent of the state's total car accidents, highlighting how many vehicular mishaps involve retirees. But it doesn't sound like the drivers are 100 percent to blame, according to the report, which notes that Wyoming's roads rank 27th in quality in the U.S., meaning they are worse than more than half of the country's roads.
Related: This State Was Just Named the Worst Place To Retire in the U.S.
Oklahoma
There have been almost 1,000 accidents involving seniors on Oklahoma roads, according to the report, making it the fourth-most dangerous state for retired drivers. And those accidents account for 22.5 percent of all crashes. With 2.6 million licensed drivers on the state's roads, that's a lot of potential for disaster.
However, this is another state with less-than-great road quality, which means seniors are likely dealing with declining eyesight and many potholes and poorly marked roadways when they're traveling.
Coming in at third, Kentucky has had 1,158 car crashes involving retired drivers during the timeframe the data was collected. That age group makes up 16 percent of the state's population, the report notes that 23 percent of all accidents had one thing in common: A senior behind the wheel.
Unfortunately, bad roads don't play as big a role in this breakdown, since the state is ranked 20th when it comes to road quality.
Mississippi
The Magnolia State has come in third on the list, with 850 accidents over the seven years the data was reviewed. The number accounted for 19 percent of all accidents in the state. Once again, it looks like infrastructure could be to blame, since the state ranks 45th in quality, putting it near the top of the worst-of-the-worst list.
Related: These Are the 3 Worst-Ranked Florida Cities to Retire In
West Virginia
Nabbing the top spot is West Virginia. There are around 42 accidents per 100,000 drivers, a figure the study notes is nearly double the national average.
Seniors were involved in more than 26 percent of all car accidents in the state, where 19.4 percent of the state's population is over the age of 65. As for the reason for all those crashes? Well, it looks like the road could be to blame once again.
"Insurance companies often use age against senior drivers in crash cases, trying to blame them automatically even when the other driver or bad road conditions caused the accident," Ruben Davidoff, Managing Partner at Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers, said about the study. "That's why documentation is so important. If you're an older driver involved in a crash, never admit fault at the scene and don't give recorded statements to insurance companies without talking to a lawyer first. Your age shouldn't be used against you, but it will be unless you protect yourself legally from the start."
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
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