Older drivers in rural areas: Implications for health, social inclusion and caregiving

In many developed nations, rural population is both declining and aging rapidly. For the older population that remains in rural areas and small towns where transportation alternatives are more limited and the reliance on the personal automobile is greater, personal transportation is increasingly challenged with age and as health declines. Driving cessation, often due to poor or declining health or eyesight, is particularly troublesome, potentially leading to social isolation. The purpose of this chapter is twofold. First, it will explore changing rural population characteristics in the developed world and the implications for transportation, social inclusion and health. Second, using examples drawn from Canada, the chapter will explore the transportation behaviors and choices of Canada's aging population living in small towns and rural areas, and how their transportation behavior changes according to their specific needs as they age through retirement and approach and complete driving cessation, along with the impacts of driving on their social isolation and opportunities to participate in the community.