The California Highway Patrol (CHP) recently issued a press release about their upcoming campaign to help prepare senior drivers to stay safe on California roadways for years to come. According to the CHP, they will be helping senior drivers, ages 65 and older, to maintain their driving independence through a yearlong federal grant. The grant, Keeping Everyone Safe (KEYS) XIII, will allow the CHP to offer both in-person and virtual safety programs for older drivers.  

The Age Well, Drive Smart class is all about helping seniors tune up their driving skills, refresh their rules-of-the-road knowledge and discuss normal age-related physical changes and how they can impact driving ability.  

Older Driver Crash Stats 

  • Between 2010 and 2019, the population of people 65 and older increased by 34 percent.  
  • Older drivers made up 20 percent of all license drivers in 2019 and 15 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2019.
  • In 2019, there were 7,214 people aged 65 and older killed in traffic crashes.
  • That age group accounted for 20 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2019.
  • From 2018 to 2019, there was a three percent increase in the number of traffic fatalities for that age group.
  • Among the older population, the traffic fatality rate per 100,000 licensed drivers in 2019 was highest in the 80 to 84 age group.  

Free Age Well, Drive Smart Classes  

CHP officials are inviting the state’s older drivers to attend a free two-hour Age Well, Drive Smart class. These classes will help keep senior drivers safer for longer. Contact your local CHP area office to find out dates and locations for upcoming classes. You can also find out about attending a class virtually if that is easier. Not only will you get to brush up on the rules of the road, you’ll also get tips to improve your driving skills and information about evaluating your driving abilities.  

If you have been injured or if you have lost a loved one in a car accident in San Diego or anywhere in Southern California, contact the skilled and proven team at Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. at 1.800.GO.HARRIS for a free case consultation today.