Older drivers more likely to be killed or seriously injured in collisions report finds
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Older drivers more likely to be killed or seriously injured in collisions report finds

OLDER drivers are more likely to be killed or seriously injured in collisions on Northern Ireland’s roads a new report has found.

Data related to incidents on the roads from 2020 to 2024 has been analysed by the Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch (ASRB) with their findings published today.

In that time some 1,720 car drivers have been killed or seriously injured on Northern Ireland’s roads, with 13 per cent of those, or 225 people, aged 70 or over.

Car drivers aged 70 and over were also deemed responsible for incidents which left 376 people dead or seriously injured.

The figures further show that when involved in a collision, car drivers aged 70 and over are twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured than those aged under 70.

They also reveal that drivers aged 70 and over are more likely to be killed or seriously injured in the afternoon, at 61%, than car drivers aged under 70, at 36%, and less likely to be killed or seriously injured on a Sunday (9%) than car drivers aged under 70 (16%).

The highest annual rate of deaths or injuries in older drivers is found the Mid Ulster Local Government District, which saw 31.3 of older car driver casualties per 100,000 people aged 70 or over.

Belfast had the lowest rate at just 6.0 per 100,000 people.