How Does Driving Anxiety Relate to the Health and Quality of Life of Older Drivers?

Abstract

Objectives: 11% of drivers aged 65+ report moderate to extreme driving anxiety, with associated reduction in driving. Knowledge about the relationships of driving anxiety with health and quality of life for older people is minimal. The present study examined these relationships. Method: 1170 community dwelling drivers aged 65+ in New Zealand completed a population survey. Results: After adjusting for socio-demographic variables, higher driving anxiety was associated with lower quality of life and lower odds of ‘very good’ self-reported health, but no difference in odds of multi-comorbidity. Discussion: Further research is needed to examine the influence of driving anxiety on health and quality of life outcomes with a broader range of older people who experience more challenges to their health and wellbeing, especially to mental health.

Proceedings of the 2023 Australasian Road Safety Conference - Cairns, Queensland, Australia

“…Published findings have identified gaps in service provision that could improve outcomes for older drivers and concerned family members, including accessible community-based information services and alternative affordable transport options (Connor et al, 2021). Many older adults reported driving anxiety at baseline and changed their driving patterns in response (Taylor et al, 2018;Taylor et al, 2022). However, planning for stopping driving was uncommon, and centred on investigating alternatives such as public transport (McLean et al, 2021).…”