The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a new study this week that will look into the effects of advanced-vehicle technology and dementia on older drivers.

Safety regulators will examine collision-avoidance systems and vehicle-to-vehicle communications that could potentially reduce the risk of death or injury to older drivers or passengers if a crash occurs.

NHTSA is also planning on conducting "naturalistic" driving studies to figure out and understand the effects of age-related medical conditions.

"Safety is our highest priority and that includes ensuring the safety of our older drivers who represent a growing population on our roads," said Anthony Foxx, U.S. Transportation Secretary, in a statement on the NHTSA site.

Regulators believe crash-avoidance technologies could be of "special assistance to older drivers."

The Alzheimer's Association said recently that driving calls for fast decision-making, and any sort of assistance would be useful for people with Alzheimer's.

"Because of this, a person with Alzheimer's will eventually become unable to drive," the association said. "Dealing with the issue early on can help ease the transition."

Latest government statistics shows that 5,560 people over the age of 65 died and 214,000 were injured in crashes last year. The amount of people over the age of 65 that were killed in crashes increased by 3 percent, and the number of people the same age that were injured increased 16 percent compared to 2011, according to the NHTSA.

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