Driving self-regulation and ride service utilization in a multicommunity, multistate sample of U.S. older adults

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined a multicommunity alternative transportation program available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for any purpose, offering door-through-door service in private automobiles to members who either do not drive or are transitioning away from driving. Specific aims were to describe the characteristics of members by driving status and ride service usage of these members. Methods: Data came from administrative records maintained by a nonprofit ride service program and include 2,661 individuals aged 65+ residing in 14 states who joined the program between April 1,2010, and November 8,2013. Latent class analysis was used to group current drivers into 3 classes of driving status of low, medium, and high self-regulation, based on their self-reported avoidance of certain driving situations and weekly driving frequency. Demographics and ride service use rate for rides taken through March 31, 2014, by type of ride (e.g., medical, social, etc.) were calculated for nondrivers and drivers in each driving status class. Results: The majority of ride service users were female (77%) and aged 65–74 years (82%). The primary method of getting around when enrolling for the transportation service was by riding with a friend or family member (60%). Among the 67,883 rides given, nondrivers took the majority (69%) of rides. Medical rides were the most common, accounting for 40% of all rides. Conclusions: Reported ride usage suggests that older adults are willing to use such ride services fora variety of trips when these services are not limited to specific types (e.g., medical). Further research can help tailor strategies to encourage both nondrivers and drivers to make better use of alternative transportation that meets the special needs of older people.

Driving as a Travel Option for Older Adults: Findings From the Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging

“…Only among the 80+ cohort within Rural and Urban non-Dublin was its dominance replaced by being Driven by someone else. These data clearly demonstrate that older Irish adults rely upon driving oneself as their most popular form of transport and given the benefits of this it is important to ensure that access to driving is not unnecessarily hindered, e.g., by unwarranted medical screening of older drivers (O’Neill, 2012), while facilitating access to alternative transportation using private or hired cars such as through the creative ITNAmerica system (Bird et al, 2017). With the increase in the level of automation within cars, driving may increasingly become easier and safer making it arguably even more attractive to older people (Harper et al, 2016).…”

Comparison of traffic collision victims between older and younger drivers in South Korea: Epidemiologic characteristics, risk factors and types of collisions

“…In Japan, the government has implemented a program for the voluntary return of driver’s licenses by older drivers and offers certain compensation to encourage voluntary participation [28]. However, most older drivers reported that they want to continue driving a private car instead of using public transportation, because they consider trains, subways, and buses to be inconvenient and misaligned with their travel needs, and taxis to be unsafe and too expensive [29]. In both rural and suburban areas, there is a lack of good public transportation options for the elderly even if they want to use them.…”

Driving Problems in the Elderly and Cognitively Impaired

“…It could be demonstrated that older adults are willing to use, if available, alternative transportation possibilities. This has been predominantly described in older women [12]. In contrast to elderly drivers below age 70, the number of older drivers decreases with higher comorbidity levels, which underlines the ability of self-regulation [14].…”

“…Additionally, due to general frailty in older age, injuries caused by car accidents are more severe, which potentially balloons the existing impact of age-related changes of driving capability [11]. Recent studies suggest that most older drivers responsibly evaluate their driving capabilities and stop driving in case of health care utilization, use of relevant medication and specific medical conditions [12,13]. It could be demonstrated that older adults are willing to use, if available, alternative transportation possibilities.…”