Safe mobility is essential to healthy aging. Recognizing that lifestyle changes, along with innovative technologies and medical advancements, will have a significant impact on the driving experiences of the baby boomer generation, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has launched a multi-year research program to more fully understand the driving patterns and trends of older drivers in the United States. This multi-year prospective cohort study is being conducted at 5 sites throughout the country, with 3,000 participants, tracking 5+ years of driving behaviors and medical conditions. The multidisciplinary team assembled to investigate this issue is led by experienced researchers from Columbia University, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and the Urban Institute. The LongROAD (Longitudinal Research On Aging Drivers) Study is designed to generate the largest and most comprehensive data base about senior drivers in existence and will support in-depth studies of senior driving and mobility to better understand risks and develop effective countermeasures. Specific emphasis is being placed on issues related to medications, medical conditions, driving patterns, driving exposure, self-regulation, and crash risk, along with mobility options for older Americans who no longer drive. The objective of this study: Declining health is known to be a major cause of driving cessation. It is less clear what impacts driving cessation may have on subsequent health and well-being in older adults. This systematic review assesses the evidence in the research literature on the consequences of driving cessation in older adults. Studies pertinent to the health consequences of driving cessation were identified through a comprehensive search of bibliographic databases. Included in the review were studies that presented quantitative data for drivers aged 55 years and older, used the cross-sectional, cohort or case-control design, and had a comparison group of current drivers. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Driving cessation was reported to be associated with declines in general health and physical, social, and cognitive functions, and with increased risks of admission to long-term care facilities and mortality. Meta-analysis based on pooled data from five studies examining the association of driving cessation with depression revealed that driving cessation almost doubled the risk of increased depressive symptoms in older adults (summary odds ratio 1.91, 95% confidence interval 1.61? 2.27). Driving cessation in older adults appears to contribute to a variety of health problems, particularly depression. These adverse health consequences should be considered in making the decision to cease driving. To mitigate the potential adverse effects of driving cessation on health and well-being in older adults, intervention programs ensuring mobility and social functions may be needed. (Author/publisher) For more information on the LongROAD Study, see http://www.longroadstudy.org/
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