Car and bicycle use is lower in older age groups than in the younger ones. The relative share of walking is larger, because the oldest age group goes out using less of other modes. Car users and cyclists have been asked what types of situations they try to avoid. Car drivers mention bad roads, dense traffic and darkness. Cyclists mention darkness, crowded roads and peak hour. Much older persons agree with general statements about the speed and complexity of traffic. They feel insecure. They mention that often no seat has been offered in public transport. More courtesy in traffic is a most general wish of older people. Spatial planning has to play an important role in solving and preventing mobility problems. The car and modern communication technology induce a society of a larger scale. Technology, however, makes also facilities accessible. In traffic and transport policy, the most direct measures are available. A better accessibility of central cities is important for everybody, but an additional effect, which has to be avoided, can be that the lower level network will be more crowded and unsafe. Solutions of the regulation for handicapped people should only be the last way. It is important to consider that modern technology is not an inevitable development, but much more a set of tools offering new opportunities to realise goals. (A)
Abstract