A huge study following 2,990 drivers between the ages of 65 and 79 are providing important scientific information about older drivers. It’s called the LongROAD Study. The people in the study live in five different cities in Michigan, Maryland, New York, Colorado, and California.
The current results suggest that while older adults are concerned about losing their license, it actually occurs much less before the age of 80 than people think! Of the 2,990 drivers, only 544 said they reduced driving in the past year. This is less than 1/5 of participants, which is good news for drivers within the 65 to 79 age range!
The study also explores the social support older adults receive when changing driving habits. Once again, good news for older adults. Individuals who reduced driving reported high levels of social support overall.
What is this means is, age is NOT the factor to stop driving! Making the decision to stop or decrease driving depends on many factors and often requires a professional driving evaluation.
This is a cohort study because it follows one group of people over a long period of time. Throughout the study, the researchers will use the longitudinal data to determine information as it occurs over time.
Thus, remember, as you turn 70 or 80 years old, age doesn’t determine your ability to drive. There are many crucial factors that play a role in making driving decisions, but even if and when that time comes your friends and family will be there along the way!
For information about older drivers’ impressive crash statistics, you can visit our previous post: Good news for Drivers ages 70-79!
