ABSTRACT
The irresistible rise of the internal combustion engine has had a profound effect on our society. Never in history have personal and public transportation been so widely available. This mobility is important at all ages and is particularly so in later life. Medical approaches to illness and safe mobility are relatively under-developed, and in automotive terms are still at the stage of the man with the red flag walking in front of the car. Safe mobility, increasingly but not exclusively by means of driving, is a key function which needs to be safeguarded just as attempted to do for continence, mobility and balance. One practical scheme has been outlined, with an emphasis on a hierarchy of strategic, tactical and operational factors. The potential and actual effect of drugs on driving may be an important factor in the safe mobility of older people, and no journal article makes the point that good medication control helps transportation and driving.
