Kyle Schofield

The matter of older driver safety is of growing interest as the population of Australia is changing in size and age. It is predicted that the number of Australians aged 65 and over will grow to 8.8 million by 2057 (22% of the total population) from 3.8 million in 2017 (15% of the total population). Correspondingly, it is expected that the number of older drivers on the road will also increase over the next decade. Older drivers’ capacity to drive safely may be affected by age-related physical and cognitive declines. Additionally, it has been documented that older drivers are at an increased risk of serious injury or death if involved in a crash, primarily due to increased frailty and fragility.

Ultimately, older drivers will be faced with a challenging life transition into driving retirement. Previous research indicates that sudden driving cessation can be associated with depression, anxiety, and reduced quality of life. Importantly, the transition to driving retirement may be eased by actively planning for the day when an older driver hangs up the keys. Evidence suggests that only a small percentage of drivers plan for driving retirement and there is limited understanding of the factors that influence people to plan for their driving retirement.

The aim of this research project was to explore the factors that influenced older drivers in planning for driving retirement. A systematic review and meta-synthesis on factors that influence planning for driving retirement was conducted to identify gaps in current knowledge. The review identified a lack qualitative research focusing on planning for driving retirement and a lack of qualitative research underpinned by theory that explored the experience of planning for driving retirement.

In response to these limitations, this study proposed the research question: What are the individual, interpersonal, environmental, and policy factors that influenced older adults in planning for driving retirement? The research project followed a qualitative descriptive methodology and was underpinned by the Social Ecological Model (SEM) to explore and document older adults’ experiences of planning for driving retirement. Data were collected from semi-structured in-depth interviews with Sunshine Coast residents 65 years and over who had retired from driving. Data were analysed by way of thematic analysis and categorised into levels of the SEM.

Overall, the results identified that: 1) individual factors (e.g. desire to maintain control, worry about causing harm to others, cost of vehicle maintenance, and declining physical health) are generally the stimulus for an older driver to begin thinking about retiring from driving; 2) interpersonal feedback did not play a large role in influencing planning driving retirement; 3) having available social support was an important facilitator of planning for driving retirement; 4) neighbourhood accessibility, infrastructure, and available alternative transport was a significant factor that influenced planning for driving retirement; and 5) at a policy level there is a need for coordinated and comprehensive resources to aid older drivers planning for driving retirement.

This study identified factors at all four levels of the SEM that influence planning for driving retirement, which provides support for the inclusion of all levels of the SEM in interventions, policy, and future research. The use of a qualitative descriptive approach provided depth and new insights into the understanding of the experience of older drivers in planning for driving retirement and facilitators and barriers to planning for driving retirement. This comprehensive knowledge expands the existing body of research using theory to document the experience of older adults’ who have planned for driving retirement.

The findings from this research highlight the need for inclusion of all levels of the SEM in intervention and policy development. Policy makers, legislators and urban planners may find these results helpful to understand the needs of retired drivers when planning or modifying public transport systems, building or modifying infrastructure to support active transport, and placement of housing developments and amenities. Health practitioners and families of older drivers may also find these results helpful in identifying tools they can use to engage in difficult conversations with older drivers about planning for driving retirement. Lastly, older and retired drivers may use these findings to advocate for supportive environments and policy in their local areas to help ease the transition to non-driver for others.