Improving the safety of older truck drivers : developing a framework for moving forward.

Molnar, Lisa J.; Eby, David W.; Newnam, Sharon; Zakrajsek, Jennifer; Koppel, Sjaan; Blower, Daniel; Conklin, Sharon; Crecca, Daniel; Tian, Tian · 2016 · ROSA P / University of Michigan. Transportation Research Institute

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Summary

This report addresses the growing safety concerns associated with the aging workforce in the U.S. trucking industry. With a projected shortage of new drivers and an increasing proportion of drivers aged 60 and older, the study aims to identify risk factors contributing to crashes among older truck drivers and develop a framework for a needs assessment tool. The overarching goal is to create a program that allows older drivers to remain on the road safely by addressing age-related functional declines in sensory, physical, and cognitive abilities. The project was motivated by the lack of specific data on age-related risk factors in this demographic and the need for preventive strategies that consider the complex workplace system rather than focusing solely on individual driver behavior. The researchers employed a multi-method approach involving crash data analysis, a literature review, and structured interviews. Crash data from 2010–2012 were drawn from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and the General Estimates System (GES), comparing drivers aged 60+ against a reference group of 27–59-year-olds. The analysis examined crash severity, types, environmental conditions, and driver actions. Additionally, the team reviewed existing literature on preventive strategies and conducted interviews with older truck drivers and safety managers to understand current challenges and operational contexts. The crash data analysis revealed that older drivers were involved in a slightly higher proportion of fatal crashes (1.6%) compared to the 27–59 age group (1.3%). Older drivers were more likely to be involved in run-off-the-road crashes, same-direction sideswipes where they were the encroaching vehicle, and crossing-path crashes. They also experienced a higher rate of rollovers in fatal crashes. However, older drivers showed similar rates of speeding and significantly lower rates of alcohol involvement compared to younger groups. The literature review highlighted that aging leads to declines in vision, reaction time, and cognitive processing, which are exacerbated by fatigue and longer driving routes. Existing countermeasures were found to be limited, with most strategies focusing on general driver training or vehicle maintenance rather than tailored interventions for older drivers. The study concludes that a tailored needs assessment tool could provide significant value to the trucking industry by bridging the gap between individual health concerns and workplace safety management. The authors developed a conceptual framework for such a tool, drawing inspiration from the SAFER Driving instrument but adapting it to address the systemic nature of trucking operations. This framework considers interactions across multiple levels, including driver capabilities, trucking company policies, vehicle technology, and regulatory bodies. The findings suggest that effective safety management for older drivers requires moving beyond singular driver-level interventions to include comprehensive strategies that address environmental, equipment, and organizational factors.

Key finding

Older truck drivers (60+) exhibited a higher proportion of fatal crashes and were more frequently involved in run-off-road and sideswipe collisions compared to drivers aged 27-59, while alcohol involvement was negligible across all age groups.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• truck driver fatigue
• older driver retraining
• older drivers
• bus coach