Newtown Tops List for Most Senior-Related Car Crashes, AAA Says

Newtown Township ranks first for the most crashes with drivers over the age of 65, according to a AAA report.

Route 3 (West Chester Pike) in Newtown Township (between Bryn Mawr Avenue and Route 252) had a reported 34 crashes and 29 injuries with a driver over the age of 65, in the past five years, according to the report.

The top senior-related crash corridors are busy commercial highways, close to shops, senior centers and residential areas, according to the report.

Dunwoody Village Retirement Community and Newtown Square Shopping Center are located in that Newtown Township hotspot.

Below are the top senior driver-related crash highways for each county in the Philadelphia region between 2008 and 2012. Ranked by number of crashes.  Source: PennDOT. 

1. Delaware County: Route 3 (West Chester Pike), Newtown Township (between Bryn Mawr Ave & Route 252); 34 crashes, 29 injuries. Located here: Dunwoody Village Retirement Community, Newtown Square Shopping Center.
2. Montgomery County: Main Street, West Norriton Township (west of Norristown); 33 crashes, 31 injuries. Located here: Senior Adult Activities Center nearby in Norristown; enroute to county seat and transit centers in Norristown; shopping centers at other end of corridor along Route 363.
3. Bucks County: Route 132 (Street Road), Warminster Township; 31 crashes, 23 injuries. Located here: Ann’s Choice Retirement Community, Walmart, other shopping centers; Warminster SEPTA station nearby.
4. Philadelphia: Grant Avenue, Northeast Philadelphia; 28 crashes, 30 injuries.  Located here: Senior Care of the Northeast, Walmart, Northeast Shopping Center, other shopping and business, intersection with Roosevelt Blvd; bus routes.
5. Chester County: Business Route 30, East Caln Township; 18 crashes, 15 injuries.  Located here: Downingtown Area Senior Center, Ashbridge Manor Senior Apts., Simpson Meadows Retirement Community, Wegman’s, other shops/restaurants/movie theaters nearby.

Highway deaths for senior drivers are up in Pennsylvania.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, there were 276 fatalities in 2012 of drivers 65 years old or older. This was an increase of 32 deaths compared to 2011, and about 21 percent of the state's total of 1,310 highway fatalities.

While seniors are generally safe drivers, they are slightly over-represented in the fatalities due to weaker health which may affect ability to recover from crash injuries, according to PennDOT.

"There are nearly 1.5 million licensed drivers aged 65 and older in the Commonwealth, making up 17 percent of Pennsylvania's driving population, and while there is no singular factor to look at in terms of stopping driving; PennDOT continually seeks to balance the safety of our roadways with the impact of loss of independence, autonomy, and mobility of the older driver,” said Brad Rudolph, PennDOT Safety Press Officer.