Driving and alternatives: older drivers in Michigan.
METHODS
A statewide telephone survey of Michigan drivers and former drivers aged 65 and older collected information on transportation mode choices, experience with alternatives to driving, and whether drivers planned for when they could no longer drive.


RESULTS
Results showed that most older adult households owned at least one automobile, and that the automobile was the primary mode of transportation. Most former drivers obtained rides from relatives and friends. Use of public transportation was low, and some seniors were not aware of available public transportation services. Older drivers did not plan for driving cessation. Over half the drivers who perceived a likelihood of driving problems within 5 years expected to keep driving beyond 5 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Because of their lifelong reliance on the automobile, their desire to drive themselves, and their lack of experience with public transportation, efforts to enhance the mobility of older people should consider this background while alternatives to the personal automobile are developed.
Kostyniuk
Lidia P
LP
Transportation Research Institute, University of Michigan, 2901 Baxter Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2150, USA. lidakos@umich.edu
Shope
Jean T
JT
D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000523:psychology; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D019359:Knowledge; D008004:Licensure; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014186:Transportation / Q000145:classification / Q000379:methods*; D014505:Urban Population