In the second part of our two-part series this week, the New York City injury attorneys at Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool look at the issue of older drivers. The previous report on New York Injury Lawyer Blog focused on teen drivers.

AAA New York recently sponsored a senior driving expo at Adelphi University in Garden City, where the emphasis was on assisting seniors in "Keeping the Keys." The event promoted seniors as safer than 20-something drivers.

It's a tough comparison to make -- and it's not necessarily true. The New York Department of Transportation's annual report does not provide a crash rate (serious or fatal crashes per number of drivers). But, based on raw numbers, senior drivers over 70 reported consistently higher fatalities rates with age. Those over 80, reported 109 fatalities and 3,332 injuries in 2008, more than any other age group except those in their 20s -- conveniently the age group used by the Senior Expo.

Yet seniors reported more accidents than teenagers -- and car accidents are the leading cause of death for young drivers ages 15 to 20, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And the NHTSA reports that men have consistently higher crash rates after the age of 65. Women follow the same trend but the rate declines again after the age of 85.

As the Washington Post reported, the issue of senior drivers will move to the forefront of the safety discussion with the aging of the Baby Boomers. The percentage of drivers over the age of 70 who still have driver's licenses has increased from 73 percent a decade ago to 78 percent today. While drivers are living longer, health issues like heart problems, stroke, Parkinson's dementia, Alzheimer's and diabetes can increase the risk of being involved in a serious or fatal New York car accident.

And a 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office found that drivers over the age of 75 were more likely than drivers of all other age groups to be involved in a fatal accident.

The NHTSA offers resources for senior drivers and families