A review of the records show most of the fatal traffic crashes on Fond du Lac County roads last year involved elderly drivers. Sheriff’s captain Ryan Waldschmidt says the average age of the driver in seven of the ten fatal crashes in Fond du Lac County last year was 78. “Five of those crashes were failure to yield at a stop sign or failure to yield right of way,” Waldschmidt told WFDL news. The local data follows a new national study that shows Wisconsin has the highest rate for fatal crashes involving elderly drivers in the country despite having a lower percentage of older drivers compared to many states. Waldschmidt says two common factors in crashes involving older drivers include not being able to fully turn their head to look for oncoming traffic and slower reaction time. In addition Waldschmidt says elderly drivers’ health is more fragile so they’re more likely to have serious or fatal injuries in a crash.
