Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The impact of transportation alternatives on the decision to cease driving by older adults in Japan

  • Published:
Transportation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study investigated whether the availability of transportation alternatives for older drivers is a determinant of the decision to cease driving. We recruited participants from a total of 7827 drivers aged 69 years or older living in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan who were scheduled to renew their driving license between February and April 2011. In November 2010, we distributed questionnaires to collect data on predictors of driving cessation, and again in December 2012 to determine who had actually ceased driving. The relative impacts of factors related to driving cessation were then estimated. Of the 3089 respondents, 157 did not renew their license. The strongest determinants of this decision were having been advised to stop driving and if they had developed less confidence in their ability to drive safely. Even so, respondents were far more likely to have actually stopped driving if they were sure that someone else was available to provide a ride when they needed one. The final decision to stop driving is strongly influenced by personal convenience based on private transport, especially amongst drivers who have been advised to stop. The availability of public transport alternatives is not as important a factor in this decision.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anstey, K.J., Windsor, T.D., Luszcz, M.A., Andrews, G.R.: Predicting driving cessation over 5 years in older drivers: psychological well-being and cognitive competence are stronger predictors than physical health. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 54, 121–126 (2006). doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.00471.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Broome, K., Nalder, E., Worrall, L., Boldy, D.: Age-friendly buses? A comparison of reported barriers and facilitators to bus use for younger and older adults. Australas. J Ageing 29, 33–38 (2010). doi:10.1111/j.1741-6612.2009.00382.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cabinet Office, Government of Japan (2011) Koureisha no juutaku to seikatsu kankyou ni kansuru ishiki chousa kekka [Survey on residence and living environment among the elderly]. Retrieved 27 Dec 2013 from http://www8.cao.go.jp/kourei/ishiki/h22/sougou/zentai/index.html

  • Cabinet Office, Government of Japan (2012) Annual report on the aging society 2012. Retrieved 27 Dec 2013 from http://www8.cao.go.jp/kourei/english/annualreport/2012/2012pdf_e.html

  • Cabinet Office, Government of Japan (2013) Heisei 25 nen ban koutsuu anzen hakusho [White paper on traffic safety in Japan 2013]. Retrieved 27 Dec 2013 from http://www8.cao.go.jp/koutu/taisaku/h25kou_haku/index_pdf.html

  • Choi, M., Adams, K.B., Kahana, E.: The impact of transportation support on driving cessation among community-dwelling older adults. J. Gerontol. B Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci. 67, 392–400 (2012a). doi:10.1093/geronb/gbs035

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, M., Adams, K.B., Mezuk, B.: Examining the aging process through the stress-coping framework: application to driving cessation in later life. Aging Ment Health 16, 75–83 (2012b). doi:10.1080/13607863.2011.583633

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deka, D.: The role of household members in transporting adults with disabilities in the United States. Transp. Res. A Policy 69, 45–57 (2014). doi:10.1016/j.tra.2014.08.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, J.D., Bart, E., O’Connor, M.L., Cissell, G.: Ten years down the road: predictors of driving cessation. Gerontologist 50, 393–399 (2010). doi:10.1093/geront/gnp127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, J.D., Lunsman, M., Perkins, M., Rebok, G.W., Roth, D.L.: Driving cessation and health trajectories in older adults. J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. 64, 1290–1295 (2009a). doi:10.1093/gerona/glp114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, J.D., Perkins, M., Ross, L.A., Reynolds, S.L.: Driving status and three-year mortality among community-dwelling older adults. J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. 64, 300–305 (2009b). doi:10.1093/gerona/gln019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, J.D., Ross, L.A., Ackerman, M.L., Small, B.J., Ball, K.K., Bradley, S., Dodson, J.E.: Longitudinal predictors of driving cessation among older adults from the ACTIVE clinical trial. J. Gerontol. B Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci. 63B, P6–P12 (2008). doi:10.1093/geronb/63.1.P6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, E.E., Gange, S.J., Munoz, B., West, S.K.: Driving status and risk of entry into long-term care in older adults. Am. J. Public Health 96, 1254–1259 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freund, B., Szinovacz, M.: Effects of cognition on driving involvement among the oldest old: variations by gender and alternative transportation opportunities. Gerontologist 42, 621–633 (2002). doi:10.1093/geront/42.5.621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujiwara, Y., Shinkai, S., Amano, H., Watanabe, S., Kumagai, S., Takabayashi, K., Yoshida, H., Hoshi, T., Tanaka, M., Morita, M., Haga, H.: Test-retest variation in the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence in community-dwelling older people independent in daily living toward individual assessment of functional capacity [Article in Japanese]. Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi 50, 360–367 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, T.R., Hildebrand, E.D.: Can rural older drivers meet their needs without a car? Stated adaptation responses from a GPS travel diary survey. Transportation 38, 975–992 (2011). doi:10.1007/s11116-011-9323-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herrmann, N., Rapoport, M.J., Sambrook, R., Hébert, R., McCracken, P., Robillard, A.: For the Canadian Outcomes Study in Dementia (COSID) Investigators Predictors of driving cessation in mild-to-moderate dementia. CMAJ 175, 591–595 (2006). doi:10.1503/cmaj.051707

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ikeda, M.: Koureisha narabini ninchishou kanja no jidousha unten [Car driving among the elderly and dementia patients]. Jpn. J. Gerontol. 30, 439–444 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, J.E.: Informal social support networks and the maintenance of voluntary driving cessation by older rural women. J. community Health Nurs. 25, 65–72 (2008). doi:10.1080/07370010802017034

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kington, R., Reuben, D., Rogowski, J., Lillard, L.: Sociodemographic and health factors in driving patterns after 50 years of age. Am. J. Public Health 84, 1327–1329 (1994). doi:10.2105/AJPH.84.8.1327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koyano, W., Shibata, H., Nakazato, K., Haga, H., Suyama, Y.: Measurement of competence: reliability and validity of the TMIG Index of Competence. Arch. Gerontol. Geriatr. 13, 103–116 (1991). doi:10.1016/0167-4943(91)90053-S

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liddle, J., Haynes, M., Pachana, N.A., Mitchell, G., McKenna, K., Gustafsson, L.: Effect of a group intervention to promote older adults’ adjustment to driving cessation on community mobility: a randomized controlled trial. Gerontol. Adv. online publ. (2013). doi:10.1093/geront/gnt019

    Google Scholar 

  • Marottoli, R.A., Mendes de Leon, C.F., Glass, T.A., Williams, C.S., Cooney Jr, L.M., Berkman, L.F., Tinetti, M.E.: Driving cessation and increased depressive symptoms: prospective evidence from the New Haven EPESE. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 45, 202–206 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marottoli, R.A., Mendes de Leon, C.F., Glass, T.A., Williams, C.S., Cooney Jr, L.M., Berkman, L.F.: Consequences of driving cessation: decreased out-of-home activity levels. J. Gerontol. B Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci. 55, S334–S340 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNamara, A., Chen, G., George, S., Walker, R., Ratcliffe, J.: What factors influence older people in the decision to relinquish their driver’s licence? A discrete choice experiment. Accid. Anal. Prev. 55, 178–184 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mercado, R., Páez, A., Newbold, K.B.: Transport policy and the provision of mobility options in an aging society: a case study of Ontario, Canada. J. Transp. Geogr. 18, 649–661 (2010). doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2010.03.017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mezuk, B., Rebok, G.W.: Social integration and social support among older adult following driving cessation. J. Gerontol. B Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci. 63, S298–S303 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) (2008) Chiiki koukyou koutsuu no kasseika/saisei eno torikumi no arikata houkokusho [Report on revitalization of public transportation]. Retrieved 27 Dec 2013 from http://www.mlit.go.jp/common/000019577.pdf

  • Mizuno E. Koureiki no gaishutsu—Jidousha/koukyou koutsuu no riyou ga konnan ni nattara [Going-out-of home behavior in later life—if it becomes difficult to use motor vehicles and public transportations]. Life Design Report Winter:4–15. Retrieved 27 Dec 2013 from http://group.dai-ichi-life.co.jp/dlri/ldi/report/rp1201a.pdf

  • National Police Agency (NPA) (2013) Heisei 24 nen chuu no koutsuu jiko no hassei joukyou [Traffic accidents situation in 2012]. Retrieved 27 Dec 2013 from http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/Pdfdl.do?sinfid=000019681521

  • Ohi, Y.: Koureisha unten menkyo jishu hennou support kyougikai ni tsuite [Council on voluntary surrender of driving license among the elderly]. Gekkan Koutsuu 43, 37–45 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • Schreiner, A.S., Hayakawa, H., Morimoto, T., Kakuma, T.: Screening for late life depression: cut-off scores for the geriatric depression scale and the cornell scale for depression in dementia among Japanese subjects. Int. J. Geriatr. Psychiatry 18, 498–505 (2003). doi:10.1002/gps.880

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheikh, J.I., Yesavage, J.A.: Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): recent evidence and development of a shorter version. In: Brink, T.L. (ed.) Clinical Gerontology: A guide to assessment and intervention, pp. 165–173. The Haworth Press, New York (1986)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sims, R.V., Ahmed, A., Sawyer, P., Allman, R.M.: Self-reported health and driving cessation in community-dwelling older drivers. J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. 62, 789–793 (2007). doi:10.1093/gerona/62.7.789

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • StataCorp: Stata statistical software: release 13. StataCorp LP, College Station (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  • Taniguchi, A., Fujii, S.: Promoting public transport using marketing techniques in mobility management and verifying their quantitative effects. Transportation 34, 37–49 (2007). doi:10.1007/s11116-006-0003-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Windsor, T.D., Anstey, K.J.: Interventions to reduce the adverse psychosocial impact of driving cessation on older adults. Clin. Interv. Aging 1, 205–211 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Windsor, T.D., Anstey, K.J., Butterworth, P., Luszcz, M.A., Andrews, G.R.: The role of perceived control in explaining depressive symptoms associated with driving cessation in a longitudinal study. Gerontologist 47, 215–223 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yatomi, N.: The factor structure and item characteristics of the GDS (Geriatric Depression Scale) short version in a Japanese elderly people [Article in Japanese]. Jpn. J. Gerontol. 16, 29–36 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Ibaraki Prefectural Police for their help in sending out baseline questionnaires.

Funding

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 22790486; and the Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Welfare Foundation Research Grant.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Hideto Takahashi

    Present address: Information Management and Statistics, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan

    Masao Ichikawa & Hideto Takahashi

  2. Kanagawa University of Human Services, 1-10-1 Heisei-cho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 238-8522, Japan

    Shinji Nakahara

Authors
  1. Masao Ichikawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shinji Nakahara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hideto Takahashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Masao Ichikawa.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ichikawa, M., Nakahara, S. & Takahashi, H. The impact of transportation alternatives on the decision to cease driving by older adults in Japan. Transportation 43, 443–453 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-015-9583-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-015-9583-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation