Remediation Ranking of High Crash Fatality Locations Involving Older Drivers in Florida’s Rural Counties

Abstract

In 2019, Florida’s aging road users (65 years or older) accounted for 20% of the population but 37% of all crashes. Florida Department of Transportation has identified aging road users as one of the areas that requires attention in achieving Vision Zero—a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. Research has documented that fatality rates in motor vehicle crashes are higher in rural than urban areas. Drivers in rural areas may be more vulnerable because they rely more on driving and consequently are reluctant to stop. This study identifies factors contributing to fatalities among aging drivers in 14 rural Florida counties experiencing high crash rates. The methodology used a multicriteria decision-making model, namely the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), to identify and categorize the causes of fatal crashes among drivers aged 65+, and to rank their 14 rural counties for remediation measures. FAHP methodology calculates crash factor weights and ranks the counties using pairwise comparisons of those factors to compare and quantify them. Results revealed that the top contributing factors to fatal crashes among drivers 65+ were cloudy, foggy, or rainy weather and when roadways were sandy or wet. Driving in the dark and at dawn also increased the risk of fatal crashes within this specified age group. These findings could help policy makers in each location focus on remediation measures such as older driver education and infrastructural improvements to address the most critical factors in fatal accidents.