Long lines at the motor vehicles department may be frustrating, but for senior citizens, the wait could be a lifesaver. Motor vehicle fatality rates for elderly drivers are rising, and older drivers are in more deadly accidents per mile driven than any other group—except for adolescent males. Many states require drivers to get vision tests or road tests or to renew their licenses in person, all of which could reduce the numbers of licensed elderly drivers who are no longer fit to drive. A new study from researchers at the University of Alabama–Birmingham looks at the relationship between license renewal laws and traffic fatality rates for older drivers.

What the researchers wanted to know: Do stricter state driver's license renewal policies affect fatality rates among elderly drivers?

What they did: The study's authors examined data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System from 1990 to 2000, numbers collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The data include all motor vehicle crashes on public roads that result in a death. Researchers then examined the connection between the deaths and state laws on licensing, including road tests, vision tests, and the required frequency of license renewal for all drivers.

What they found: More than 4,600 drivers ages 85 or older died in traffic accidents during the study period. States that require drivers to renew their licenses in person have, on average, a 17 percent lower death rate for drivers over age 85 than states that don't. In 2000, 45 states had in-person renewal, and although the researchers concluded this requirement lowered the death rate of the oldest drivers, it didn't have any effect on the fatality rate for any other age group. None of the other specific policies—for example, vision tests—correlated with the death rates of elderly drivers. In-person renewal laws are thought to limit accidents because license inspectors can refuse licenses to impaired drivers or insist on a medical evaluation before granting a license. Elderly drivers who know they are deficient may also be less likely to attempt license renewal if they have to apply in person.

What the study means to you: Elderly drivers are at a high risk for fatal accidents. In-person license renewal did reduce elderly deaths, but none of the other policies in the study appeared to help the problem.

Caveats: The data used in the study recorded only fatalities, so you'd need more data to find a connection between license laws and nonfatal accidents. Also, the specifics of each policy may vary from state to state, such as the level of vision required by states in vision tests.

Find out more: Many websites offer information for older drivers and those providing care for the elderly. Check out www.aging-parents-and-elder-care.com and www.drivers.com. Hartford Financial Services Group and the MIT AgeLab give advice on talking with older drivers.

Read the article: Grabowski, D., Campbell, C., and M. Morrisey. "Elderly Licensure Laws and Motor Vehicle Fatalities." Journal of the American Medical Association. June 16, 2004, Vol. 291, No.23, pp. 2840–2846.

Abstract online: http://jama.ama-assn.org