Why do older drivers reduce driving? Findings from three European countries

The objective of this study was to find out the reasons, which lead drivers to reduce their driving in varying cultural settings. Data on the prevalence of reduced driving, the reasons for and factors associated with reduced driving were obtained from Finnish, German and Italian home-dwelling active drivers (n=710) aged 55 and older. The subjects were interviewed in autumn 1995 at their homes with a standardized questionnaire as a part of the European project Keeping the Elderly Mobile: Technology to Meet Their Outdoor Mobility Needs. In the Finnish and German samples 62% and in the Italian sample 44% of the active drivers stated that they had reduced their driving. These persons drove fewer kilometres, less often and avoided more situations in traffic than the others. Both similarities and differences were found among the reasons given for reduction in driving. Commonly stated reasons included being able to reach everything without a car, health reasons, too hectic traffic and retirement. Binary logistic regression administered separately for each location revealed that retirement was associated with reduced driving in all locations. Older age, changes in leisure activities and chronic conditions were significantly associated in at least one of the locations. In addition, reduced driving was more likely among drivers living in former West Germany than former East Germany. The results confirm the effect of retirement and age on reducing the amount of driving, but also underscore the effect of the personal and environmental resources available.