‘…it's hard to prepare yourself, it's like a death’: barriers and facilitators to older people discussing and planning for driving retirement

Abstract

Driving is the preferred mode of transport for many older drivers, providing mobility to maintain independence and quality of life. The loss of driving privilege has negative psychosocial consequences, including depression. Early discussions and planning for driving retirement are therefore essential. Driving retirement, however, is typically a taboo topic for older drivers and their support networks. To understand why discussions and planning about driving retirement are avoided, 43 semi-structured interviews were conducted with older drivers in New South Wales, Australia. Drawing on Löckenhoff's ageing and decision-making framework, thematic analysis of transcripts offers insights into why discussions and planning for driving retirement are avoided or facilitated. The findings reveal most older drivers had not discussed or planned for driving retirement. Barriers to discussing and planning for driving retirement included: perceptions of loss, change, death and denial. Facilitators to discussing or planning for driving retirement included: declining health and driving confidence, medical advice, age or car accident. Driving retirement in car-dependent societies is a major life event, symbolising an end-of-life stage for many older people. This paper calls for strategies to encourage early and regular discussions about driving retirement with older drivers. To support older drivers’ transition to driving retirement, an understanding of the value and meaning placed on driving in the context of the individuals' identity and lifestyle is recommended.