A total of 5,853 elderly drivers, age 55 and over, and 8,210 middleaged drivers 36-50 years old, all of whom were involved in accidents during 1986, were compared using discriminant function and analysis of variance techniques. Additional information was obtained through surveys of elderly drivers from both the general driving population and from those recently involved in crashes.

Substantial differences were found in accident characteristics not only between middle-aged and elderly drivers but also between three different age groups of the elderly. Support was found for the suspicion that, while the elderly have relatively few accidents compared to younger drivers, their safety record based on driving exposure using non crash convictions as a surrogate measure of kilometres driven is worse and, in addition, they are more often at fault in accident involvements.