Is it possible to prevent deadly traffic accidents based on driving records?

david studdert cdeha

As the leading cause of death for young people in the United States, traffic accidents are a major risk to health. Around the world, they kill 1.3 million people per year and seriously injure more than 80 million. David Studdert, a professor of medicine and law and a Stanford Health Policy core faculty member, wanted to bring those numbers down. In his study, "Exploring the relationship between traffic citation history and crash risk among elderly drivers in Florida," Studdert looked for a way to find high-risk drivers based on demographics and driving records. He found that drivers who have a quick succession of traffic violations or have particular types of violations may be at a higher risk to cause serious accidents. Studdert hopes to use the study's results to make driving safer without encroaching on civil liberties.