Voluntary and Involuntary Driving Cessation in Later Life

[Objectives] To characterize and examine the predictors of voluntary and involuntary driving cessation among older adults. [Methods] Data come from the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study, a population-based cohort study. Analysis is limited to participants aged 55 and older who stopped driving prior to the latest interview wave (N=83). The sociodemographic and health-related predictors of voluntary and involuntary driving cessation, and the reasons for cessation, were examined. [Results] Of the 83 former drivers, 69 (83.1%) stopped by their own decision, 11 (13.3%) did by the decision of physician or family, and 3 (3.6%) by the MVA. Both voluntary and involuntary former drivers reported physical illness and vision problems as the main reasons for cessation (30.4% and 57.1%, respectively). Other common reasons for voluntary cessation included financial difficulties and anxiety about driving (10 out of 69 voluntary former drivers, each). Voluntary and involuntary former drivers did not differ in terms of age, sex, race, or socioeconomic status. Those who reported that the decision was involuntary had more functional impairments. [Discussion] Although most participants reported that the decision to stop driving was voluntary, the reasons for this transition suggest that external factors, including financial strain and anxiety about driving, play a role in this transition.