78-year-old driver rolls over in Eichenkofen – 50,000 euros in damage!

78-year-old driver rolls over in Eichenkofen – 50,000 euros in damage!

On Friday afternoon, August 24th, 2025, a serious traffic accident occurred in the Eichenkofen district of Erding. A 78-year-old driver from the Erding district caused a stir when she drove her vehicle into a garden fence around 11:50 a.m. before driving across a roundabout without braking. The car overturned and ended up on its roof in an adjacent field. Luckily, the driver was alone in the car and only suffered moderate injuries. After quick first aid from the emergency services, she was taken to a nearby hospital.

The elderly woman's vehicle was a total loss in the unfortunate incident, and the damage to the roundabout, the meadow and the garden fence totals over 50,000 euros. The emergency services included the police, the Langengeisling volunteer fire department and the rescue service, who were quickly on the scene to bring the situation under control and care for the injured. As sueddeutsche.de reports, this incident is sparking new discussions about the road safety of older drivers.

Accident statistics among seniors

Interestingly, statistics show that older drivers, despite being less likely to drive, are often the main cause of accidents in certain cases. According to tagesschau.de, in 2023, people over 65 were the cause of traffic accidents in 68 percent of cases. For drivers aged 75 and over, this proportion was as high as 76 percent. In comparison, people under 65 were primarily to blame in only 55 percent of cases. This shows that although older people are less likely to be involved in accidents, when they are involved, it is often due to their failure to yield right of way or incorrect turning.

These mishaps could also be due to older drivers who, after a long period of experience behind the wheel, sometimes underestimate the dangers of road traffic. Most of the time they are the ones who no longer have to drive to work and are therefore on the road less often, which makes them the rare but unpleasant exception when it comes to accidents. But as the recent incident in Eichenkofen made clear again, the risks are still there.

It remains to be seen whether this accident will lead to further discussions about how to better support seniors on the road and increase their safety. What is certain is that local authorities have already implemented measures to improve road safety in the past, which should perhaps be given greater focus.