Do older rural drivers self-regulate their driving? The effects of increased driving importance and limited alternative transportation

This study examined whether older rural drivers are restricted in the ability to self-regulate their driving by the importance they attribute to driving and reduced access to alternative transportation. A sample of 170 drivers (aged >= 75) from rural and urban areas of South Australia completed a questionnaire on driving importance, alternative means of transportation and driving self-regulation. Rural participants viewed their driving as more important than urban participants did and believed that they had less public transport available to them, used public transport less and had fewer other alternative means of transportation (e.g., taxi) available. However, they did not differ on indices of self-regulation (avoidance of difficult driving situations, reductions in amount of driving and willingness to stop driving). Thus, older rural drivers' self-regulation is not restricted by increased driving importance or limited alternative transportation. However, limited alternative transportation is still viewed as a disadvantage to mobility.

[1]  R. Raedt,et al.  The Relationship Between Cognitive/Neuropsychological Factors and Car Driving Performance in Older Adults , 2000, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[2]  Lidia P Kostyniuk,et al.  Driving and alternatives: older drivers in Michigan. , 2003, Journal of safety research.

[3]  Brian N. Fildes,et al.  Characteristics of Older Drivers who Adopt Self-Regulatory Driving Behaviours , 2006 .

[4]  CynthiaOwsley,et al.  Older Drivers and Cataract : Driving Habits and Crash Risk , 2022 .

[5]  Matthew Robert Justin Baldock,et al.  Older drivers: Crash involvement rates and causes , 2005 .

[6]  Andy H. Lee,et al.  Fragility and crash over-representation among older drivers in Western Australia. , 2006, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[7]  Jennifer Oxley,et al.  It Cannot Be All about Safety: The Benefits of Prolonged Mobility , 2008, Traffic injury prevention.

[8]  J. Cauley,et al.  Driving Patterns and Medical Conditions in Older Women , 1997, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[9]  Cynthia Owsley,et al.  Self-perceptions and Current Practices of High-risk Older Drivers: Implications for Driver Safety Interventions , 2000, Journal of health psychology.

[10]  Eva Kahana,et al.  The impact of transportation support on driving cessation among community-dwelling older adults. , 2012, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences.

[11]  P. Layde,et al.  The Association of Driver Age with Traffic Injury Severity in Wisconsin , 2009, Traffic injury prevention.

[12]  Beth T. Stalvey,et al.  Driving avoidance and functional impairment in older drivers. , 1998, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[13]  Jacob Cohen,et al.  A power primer. , 1992, Psychological bulletin.

[14]  G. Rebok,et al.  Social integration and social support among older adults following driving cessation. , 2008, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences.

[15]  Michael A. Kuskowski,et al.  Dementia and driving: Perceptions and changing habits , 1999 .

[16]  G W Rebok,et al.  The Driving Habits of Adults Aged 60 Years and Older , 1999, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[17]  J. Mclean,et al.  Self-Regulation of Driving and Older Drivers' Functional Abilities , 2006 .

[18]  M. Legge,et al.  Age related changes in drivers' crash risk and crash type. , 1998, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[19]  Fiorella Marcellini,et al.  Why do older drivers reduce driving? Findings from three European countries , 2003 .

[20]  Lesley A Ross,et al.  Driving status and three-year mortality among community-dwelling older adults. , 2009, The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences.

[21]  Mark S Horswill,et al.  Older adults' safety perceptions of driving situations: towards a new driving self-regulation scale. , 2011, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[22]  Kara E MacLeod,et al.  Driving cessation and increased depressive symptoms. , 2005, The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences.

[23]  Julie E. Johnson,et al.  Rural elders and the decision to stop driving. , 1995, Journal of community health nursing.

[24]  Stephanie J. Fonda,et al.  Changes in driving patterns and worsening depressive symptoms among older adults. , 2001, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences.

[25]  Christianna S. Williams,et al.  Consequences of driving cessation: decreased out-of-home activity levels. , 2000, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences.

[26]  A J McLean,et al.  Self-regulation of driving and its relationship to driving ability among older adults. , 2006, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[27]  Liisa Hakamies-Blomqvist,et al.  OLDER DRIVERS' ABERRANT DRIVING BEHAVIOUR, IMPAIRED ACTIVITY, AND HEALTH AS REASONS FOR SELF-IMPOSED DRIVING LIMITATIONS , 2002 .

[28]  Sjaanie Narelle Koppel,et al.  The Case For and Against Mandatory Age-Based Assessment of Older Drivers , 2006 .

[29]  Matthew Robert Justin Baldock,et al.  Older drivers in rural and urban areas: comparisons of crash, serious injury, and fatality rates , 2010 .

[30]  Craig Berry,et al.  Can Older Drivers Be Nudged? How the Public and Private Sectors Can Influence Older Drivers’ Self-Regulation , 2011 .

[31]  Erica L. James,et al.  Do elderly Victorians in rural areas have access to public transport , 2005 .

[32]  Matthew Robert Justin Baldock,et al.  Self-regulation of driving behaviour among older drivers: Findings from a five year follow-up , 2008 .