(IIHS) found that most people thought a well-maintained, little-driven 10-year-old car was just as safe as a new car. However, safety features can improve a lot in that time.

Older drivers in the studies tended to drive cars that lacked electronic stability control (ESC). Cars lacking ESC were associated with a 37% increase in deaths for drivers over 70 years old.

Older vehicles often lack airbags too. This doubles the chances of a driver over 70 dying in an accident. Newer cars have features such as forward collision warning, traction control, and lane-departure warning that make them extra safe.

What else does the IIHS study say?

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All of the above comes from two studies conducted by the IIHS. They took a survey of 900 people and asked how drivers decided which car to buy. The IIHS split the respondents into two groups, one with people aged 35 to 54 and the other with people 70 and over.

The other study was done in Florida. It compared 1.5 million vehicles driven by people involved in car accidents. The study also divided the drivers into a group of people 35 to 54 and a group with people who are 70 and older.

The Florida study found that older drivers were more likely to be driving a car that was 16 years or older and way less likely to be driving a car younger than three years old.

They were also less likely to be driving a midsize passenger vehicle or SUV. They preferred sedans and hatchbacks, which meant that they took the brunt of the force in collisions with bigger vehicles.

The survey found that 10% of older drivers ignored safety ratings entirely, which may explain why the Florida study found so many older drivers in cars without good ratings in IIHS crash tests.

Safety features such as side or curtain airbags, automatic emergency braking (AEB), and forward-collision warning often weren't requirements for older drivers. About 40% of middle-aged drivers demanded AEB, but only 25% of older drivers wanted it.

Older drivers that did own newer vehicles were more likely to have an annual household income of over $75,000.

What does this mean for older drivers?

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Many older folks buy “retirement cars” that they will keep as long as they can, so their cars get older just when they need the updated safety features. This is a contributing factor to driver deaths.

Older drivers are four times more likely to die in a side-impact crash and three times more likely to die in a frontal crash than middle-aged drivers. The data suggests that safer cars would reduce this by 3% for people over 70 and 5% for people over 80. This means saving as many as 90 lives a year.

Part of the problem is that older people are often on a restricted income, so they might have to buy older cars. Some people also don't want to spend a lot on a car that they don't drive much, but the crash risk rises for people who don't drive many miles.

Perhaps the best solution would be getting something like an affordable Honda Civic sedan or hatchback. It got the

Top Safety Pick+

award from the IIHS and its front crash prevention systems were rated advanced or superior. They got good ratings in crashworthiness, and their headlights scored well.