Examining the process of driving cessation in late

Authors: Charles B A Musselwhite Ian Shergold

Publish Date: 2012/11/07

Volume: 10, Issue: 2, Pages: 89-100

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Abstract

Driving cessation for many older people is associated with a poorer quality of life and can lead to health problems such as depression This paper aims to reveal the process of givingup driving examining in particular triggers for givingup driving how information on alternative modes of transport is sought and how new transport and travel behaviour is integrated into older people’s lives It examines the challenges faced and how these are overcome and what impact the process has on selfreported quality of life as articulated by the participants themselves To this end twentyone individuals from three locations in the United Kingdom UK were followed over a period of 10 months through five waves of data collection Each participant took part in three interviews a focus group and completed a diary of travel behaviour Findings suggest that although a similar pattern was found between the trigger and life postcar not all older people go through the stages of givingup driving in the same way Instead a range of responses are seen from contemplation of gradually reducing driving through to stopping abruptly with the route taken having consequences for the eventual outcome for any individual Triggers for contemplating driving cessation could be varied and often involved health and social factors Importantly people who engaged in preplanning reported a relatively higher quality of life beyond the car whilst for those who were more reactive and engaged in little or no preplanning a poorer quality of life resulted In addition and in conjunction with planning other factors such as flexibility in travel destinations the role of family and friends and wider support networks are also seen as important With such evidence of the importance of preplanning it is suggested that more could be done to support givingup driving and encouraging contemplation at a younger age to mitigate the negative effects experienced by some

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