This article reports on the National Conference on Aging and Mobility held in Phoenix, Arizona, in March 2002. Transportation is a vital component to older persons' sense of well-being and should be viewed as more than just a means of getting around. Because of its central importance to older people's health wellness, solutions to looming problems of older drivers and pedestrians need to be put in place soon, because of the lead time required to change transportation infrastructure and policies and investments. An official with the Office of Policy Development in the U.S. DOT described seven areas where action is needed: safer, easier-to-use infrastructure; safer, easier-to-use automobiles; improved training for older drivers; transportation services that are better suited to older users; state and local participation in devising new programs and policies; wider dissemination of information; and additional basic research.
Abstract