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Holding On and Letting Go: The Perspectives of Pre-seniors and Seniors on Driving Self-Regulation in Later Life*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Deborah Laliberte Rudman ,
Judith Friedland ,
Mary Chipman  and
Paola Sciortino
Deborah Laliberte Rudman*
Affiliation:
University of Western Ontario, formerly of the University of Toronto
Judith Friedland
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
Mary Chipman
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
Paola Sciortino
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
*
Requests for offprints should be sent to: / Les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être addressées à : Deborah Laliberte Rudman, PhD, OT Reg. (ON), Assistant Professor, School of Occupational Therapy, The University of Western Ontario, Elborn College, rm.2537, London, ON N6G 1H1. (drudman@uwo.ca)
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Abstract

Although decisions related to driving are vital to well-being in later life, little is known about how aging drivers who do not experience a medical condition that requires driving cessation regulate their driving. This exploratory, qualitative study used focus groups with 79 such community-dwelling individuals to examine driving self-regulation from the perspective of pre-senior (aged 55–64) drivers, senior (aged 65 years or over) drivers, and senior ex-drivers. Themes resulting from inductive analysis addressed the importance of driving, mechanisms of self-monitoring and self-regulation, people who influenced decision making, and opinions regarding licensing regulations. A preliminary model of the process of self-regulation that highlights intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental influences on why, how, and when aging drivers adapt or cease driving is presented. The model identifies areas for future research to enhance understanding of this process, including the effectiveness of self-regulation. Findings suggest that increased public awareness of issues related to driving and aging could assist aging drivers, their families, and their family physicians in optimizing driving safety for this population. Since a near accident or accident was seen as the only factor that would lead many informants to stop driving and few informants planned for driving cessation, there is a need for interventions that help aging drivers make the transition to ex-driver in a timely and personally acceptable way.

Résumé

Bien que les décisions relatives à la conduite d'un véhicule soient fondamentales du point de vue du bien-être des personnes âgées, nous en savons assez peu sur la manière dont les conducteurs âgés, qui ne souffrent pas de problèmes médicaux pour lesquels ils devraient cesser de conduire, gèrent la conduite d'un véhicule. Cette étude qualitative exploratoire s'est appuyée sur des groupes de discussion composés de 79 de ces personnes vivant dans la collectivité, dans le but d'étudier l'autoréglementation en matière de conduite, selon le point de vue des conducteurs âgés de 55 à 64 ans et selon celui des conducteurs et des ex-conducteurs âgés de 65 ans et plus. Les thèmes découlant de l'analyse inductive portent sur l'importance de conduire, sur les mécanismes d'autosurveillance et d'autoréglementation, sur les gens qui ont une influence sur la prise de décisions et sur les opinions relatives à la réglementation en matière de permis de conduire. L'article comprend un modèle préliminaire du processus d'autoréglementation qui souligne les facteurs personnels, interpersonnels et environnementaux qui influencent la raison, la manière et le moment dont les conducteurs âgés s'adaptent et cessent de conduire. Le modèle permet de désigner les domaines dans lesquels des recherches pourraient être entreprises dans le but d'accroître notre compréhension de ce processus, y compris l'efficacité de l'autoréglementation. Les résultats révèlent qu'en améliorant la sensibilisation du public à l'égard des questions liées à la conduite et au vieillissement on pourrait aider les conducteurs âgés, leur famille et leur médecin de famille à optimiser la sécurité de cette population en matière de conduite. Puisqu'un accident ou un quasi-accident était considéré comme le seul facteur qui inciterait de nombreux sujets à arrêter de conduire et que peu de sujets prévoyaient arrêter de conduire, il est nécessaire que l'on puisse intervenir afin d'aider les conducteurs âgés à faire la transition vers un statut d'ex-conducteur au moment opportun d'une manière qui leur soit acceptable.

Keywords

agingolder driversdriving regulationself-regulationdriving cessationsafetytransportationvieillissementconducteurs âgésréglementation en matière de conduite automobileautoréglementationarrêter de conduiresécuritétransport
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 25 , Issue 1 , Spring/Printemps 2006 , pp. 65 - 76
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2006

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Footnotes

*

The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of Helena Medeiros (project coordinator), Lynn Lavallee (focus group facilitator), Pam Albrecht (transcriptionist), and occupational therapy student Amy Steen. We are indebted to the people who were informants and shared their time, experiences, and viewpoints. This study was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation through the Road User Safety Research Funding Program.

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