New analysis on older car driver killed or seriously injured casualties

Date published: 13 November 2025

A statistical brief published NISRA statisticians in the Department for Infrastructure reports that collisions caused by older drivers resulted in 376 killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties between 2020 and 2024.

Key findings

• There have been 1,720 car drivers killed or seriously injured on Northern Ireland roads between 2020 and 2024, accounting for 39% of all road users killed or seriously injured.
• Car drivers aged 70 and over accounted for 13% (225) of all car drivers killed or seriously injured casualties during this period.
• In total, car drivers aged 70 and over accounted for over one-tenth (12%) of all killed or seriously injured casualties caused by car drivers (3,013).
• When involved in an injury collision, car drivers aged 70 and over (16%) are twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured than those aged under 70 (8%).
• Physical or mental illness or injury represents a higher collision risk for older car drivers. Ten percent of killed or seriously injured collisions where a car driver aged 70 and over was deemed responsible were caused by “physical or mental illness or injury – driver,” compared to 2% where a car driver aged under 70 was responsible.
• Older car drivers are more likely to be responsible for their own KSI injuries, with those aged 70 and over responsible for 69% compared to 53% for those aged under 70.
• Car drivers aged 70 and over were more likely to be killed or seriously injured in the afternoon (61%) than car drivers aged under 70 (36%).
• Car drivers aged 70 and over were less likely to be killed or seriously injured on a Sunday (9%) than car drivers aged under 70 (16%).
• The Mid Ulster Local Government District had the highest annual rate (31.3) of older car driver KSI casualties per 100,000 resident population aged 70 and over, while Belfast had the lowest (6.0).

About this publication

This publication uses PSNI road traffic collision data from 2020 to 2024 to review collisions involving older car drivers and identify any emerging issues in relation to the number of such drivers killed or seriously injured on roads in Northern Ireland.

Further information 

Read the full report and view data tables: Older car driver killed and seriously injured (KSI) casualties, Northern Ireland 2020-2024