ABSTRACT
Transportation is a critical social issue for older adults in an ageing society and has become an increasingly important component of the lives of active older adults. Older adults are making more trips than previous generations, travelling farther, and participating in more diverse activities. In many societies, personal transportation with automobiles remains a major mode of transport even in advanced age. Despite the improving health of the older population, medical impairments and ageing-related functional and cognitive declines can affect people’s fitness to drive and their ability to walk or use public transportation. This requires improvements in the driving environment to enable older adults to drive safely and better screening for impairments that may lead to unsafe driving. Public transit is often limited in providing alternative mobility options for older adults. Since driving cessation is inevitable, it is imperative that public transportation and the pedestrian environment be improved, along with increased door-to-door paratransit. This is important for older adults to maintain their mobility and quality of life when they are no longer able to drive automobiles, and when walking and public transit become critical transportation alternatives.
