Differences Between Older Female and Male Drivers in Response to Safety Interventions

This paper reports on a study of the differential impacts of a variety of older driver safety interventions on women and men. The interventions included an in-class training session, an interview with a physician, and a self-assessment instrument. Older drivers in Tucson, AZ were interviewed before the intervention on their driving behavior and daily travel and then again one year after the intervention. The study found that the interventions had little impact on most older drivers but that there were important differences by sex. Women were less likely to engage in self-regulation, less likely to use alternatives to the car, and less likely to reduce their driving. This may be because the interventions were not appropriately targeted, or because the interventions actually made women more confident in their driving, or because women were forced to drive more because they lived alone and lacked other mobility options.