Newer vehicles come with safety features that can help prevent crashes as well as mitigate the severity of those that do occur. While there are financial concerns that keep many drivers in Pennsylvania from purchasing newer vehicles, that’s not the only factor that makes certain age groups more prone to drive older vehicles.
Study on teen drivers and older drivers
This is where the results of one study, which were published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention, come in. Researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that teen drivers and drivers aged 65 and older were more likely to own older vehicles.
It’s an unfortunate trend as teens and elderly drivers are precisely those who run the highest risk for an accident. Because of physical problems, elderly drivers see the highest rate of crash fatalities.
The crash data used in the study
Researchers looked at all the crashes that occurred in that state between 2010 and 2017. Obtaining the VIN of each vehicle, they then found out that vehicle’s model year, type and engine power in addition to whether it had electronic stability control and front, side or curtain airbags. The older vehicles that teens and the elderly drive tend not to come with stability control and side airbags.
For those injured through another’s negligence
It’s not negligent to be driving an older vehicle, but the accident you were in may have left you with serious injuries because of the lack of safety features. In this state, crash victims whose losses cannot be covered by PIP insurance could pursue a personal injury case. A lawyer may give you more details about the process and provide assistance. Third-party investigators and medical experts might come in to help, too.