Racial Differences Among Older Drivers

In this section, you will find some of the differences in driving behavior and statistics among racial groups. These differences may help you plan your program and decide which topics to address with your audience.

African Americans

• Among older men, African Americans have the second highest risk of death in a crash after American Indians and Native Alaskans
   

• Among older women, African Americans have the lowest risk of death in a crash of any group ⁸³
   

• African Americans drive more than they did before. African-American elders drive more than Latino elders but less than Caucasians. However, African-American elders are rapidly increasing the average number of miles driven yearly and are now almost on par with Caucasians⁸⁴
   

• African Americans use alternative transportation more than Caucasians. Older African Americans and Asian Americans, especially those living in urban areas, use public transit more frequently than Caucasians, regardless of their income⁸⁵
   

American Indians

Older American Indians and Alaskan Natives tend to have very low numbers of deaths attributed to motor vehicles, making it difficult to track any trends accurately.⁸⁶

Asian Americans

• Asian Americans use alternative transportation more than Caucasians. Older African Americans and Asian Americans, especially those living in urban areas, use public transit more frequently than Caucasians, regardless of their income⁸⁷
   
• Among older women, Asian Americans have the highest risk of death in a crash of any group⁸⁸
   
• Among older men, Asian Americans have the lowest risk of death in a crash of any group⁸⁹
   

Caucasians

• Older Caucasians use public transit less than any other racial group⁹⁰
   
• Older Caucasian women are more likely to die in a crash than African-American women⁹¹
   
• Compared to older African-American men, Caucasian men have lower motor-vehicle-related death rates. Older Caucasian men have among the lowest motor-vehicle-related death rates for male drivers even though they drive more miles per year on average than any other racial or ethnic group.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Online]. (2002). National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). Retrieved Apr. 25, 2003, from the World Wide Web: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars.

⁸³ Stevens & Dellinger, p. 273.

⁸⁴ Rosenbloom, p. 32

⁸⁵ Rosenbloom, S., and Waldorf, B. (March 2001) "Older Travelers: Does Place or Race Make a Difference?" Transportation Research E-Circular. No. E-C026. (In Personal Travel: The Long and Short of It. Conference Proceedings, June 28-July 1, 1999, Washington, DC, p. 113).

⁸⁶ Stevens & Dellinger.

⁸⁷ Rosenbloom & Waldorf, p. 113.

⁸⁸ Stevens & Dellinger.

⁸⁸ Ibid.

⁹⁰ Rosenbloom & Waldorf, p. 113.

⁹¹ Stevens & Dellinger.