Talking Points

Special to the Chronicle

South Carolina ranks 9th for most accidents with drivers 65 and older.

Today, 42 million Americans aged 65 and older are licensed drivers, which represents an increase of nearly 60% since 1999.

Traffic fatalities also increased 22% for drivers 65 and older, according to The-SeniorList.com study.

Using data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, it found older drivers accounted for 14% of all drivers in fatal accidents in 2017.

The 10 states with the highest number of senior drivers in fatal accidents were Florida, Texas, California, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan and New York.

The 10 with the lowest number were New Hampshire, South Dakota, Delaware, Hawaii, North Dakota, Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, Rhode Island, District of Columbia.

South Carolina ranked 9th in accidents involving seniors, not necessarily fatalities.

Common signs someone may need to stop driving are they:

• Have a tougher time hearing and seeing.

• Lose their place in conversations more frequently.

• Have difficulty with motor control and experience slower reaction times.