Risk Factors for Older Pedestrian Injuries and Fatalities in Massachusetts

Estimates suggest that the total population of Massachusetts will grow by about 6 percent over the next twenty years, from 6.6 million to 7.0 million people. Yet, this growth is expected to occur almost entirely among older adults. Gains in human longevity combined with the aging of the baby boomer cohort lead to a projected increase of 61 percent in the age group 65-plus. Walking is widely recommended for older adults to increase physical activity, and is also an economical and environmentally-friendly alternative transportation method. However, older pedestrians are among the most vulnerable road users. Older adults who are struck by a motor vehicle have twice the mortality rate of middle-aged or younger adults, and a higher rate of discharge to a skilled nursing facility, despite having a similar injury severity. It is vital to identify the contributing factors to injuries and fatalities on roadways for older pedestrians to help prioritize potential countermeasures to improve safety.

• Record URL:
  https://www.mass.gov/lists/current-and-completed-research-projects

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $100000
• Contract Numbers:

  104318

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Highway Administration

  Massachusetts Division
  55 Broadway, 10th Floor
  Cambridge, Massachusetts  United States  02142
• Managing Organizations:

  Massachusetts Department of Transportation

  10 Park Plaza
  Boston, MA  United States  02116
• Project Managers:

  Sperling, Elliot

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Massachusetts, Boston

  University Transportation Center, 100 Morrissey Boulevard
  Boston, MA  United States  02125
• Principal Investigators:

  Dugan, Elizabeth

• Start Date: 20180701
• Expected Completion Date: 20190531
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: Research and Development

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged; Countermeasures; Fatalities; Injury severity; Pedestrian safety; Pedestrian vehicle crashes; Pedestrians; Risk assessment
• Geographic Terms: Massachusetts
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01687970
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Massachusetts Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 104318
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Dec 11 2018 9:50AM