Florida Has Highest Number of Seniors Killed in Car Accidents: Study

By 2030, state officials say 25 percent of Florida drivers will be seniors.

More senior drivers died in car accidents in Florida than in any other state in 2010, according to a study by a national transportation research group called TRIP.

The results of the study revealed that 271 seniors in Florida died in 2010 and that 503 of traffic-related fatalities involved drivers over the age of 65, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

Floridians for Better Transportation, an advocacy group for safe highways, said that the state should make change its transportation program because the number of seniors in the state is on the rise, the newspaper said.

"A lot of them will be retirees new to Florida, people who are used to driving in a different [state]," Matthew Ubben, the president of the group, was quoted as saying.

Drivers 65 and older currently comprise 20 percent of the Florida's driving population. By 2030, state officials say 25 percent of Florida drivers will be seniors.

Safety advocates also claim that the number of fatalities could increase because baby boomers will live longer and drive older, according to the Sentinel.

Texas had the highest number of senior deaths relative to population, with 10.7 deaths per 100,000, the study said. Florida had 9.87 senior deaths per 100,000 people.

California ranked third with 6.9, although they have the highest total number of drivers over the age of 65.

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