All are not created equal: Assessing initial driving self-regulation behaviors among older adults

December 10, 2021

Authors

  • Jonathon M. Vivoda
  • Lisa J.Molnar
  • David W. Eby
  • Carolyn DiGuiseppi
  • Vanya Jones
  • Guohua Li
  • David Strogatz
  • Raymond Yung
  • Linda Nyquist
  • Jacqui Smith
  • Jennifer S. Zakrajsek
  • RenĂ©e M. St Louis
  • Nicole Zanier

Mobility is closely tied to the ability to safely drive. In older adulthood, many people begin to avoid difficult driving situations, such as driving at night, during rush hour, on freeways, or in unfamiliar areas. Reasons for such avoidance include driving self-regulation (SR; an intentional response to perceived difficulty), lifestyle changes, or preference. Most previous research has not made distinctions between these reasons, has not compared driving avoidance situations, and has not differentiated between those early in the SR process from those farther along. This study addressed those issues by comparing each of the aforementioned driving avoidance behaviors as one's initial SR behavior. The most common initial SR behavior was avoidance of nighttime driving (57.59%), followed by avoidance of rush hour driving (26.96%), driving in unfamiliar areas (10.81%), and driving on freeways (4.63%). 

Journal of Transport and Health, 24, doi: 10.1016/j.jth.2021.101310

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Topics

  • Transportation