Citation

Wong IY, Smith SS, Sullivan KA, Allan AC. J. Gerontol. B Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci. 2014; 71(1): 71-86.

Affiliation

Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety-Queensland (CARRS-Q), Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Gerontological Society of America, Publisher Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/geronb/gbu099

PMID

25186955

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Self-regulation refers to the practice of using self-imposed restrictions to protect oneself from situations that are, or are perceived to be, unsafe. Within the driving context, self-regulation refers the compensatory practices that some older adults adopt to restrict their driving to situations in which they feel safe. However, the way in which demographic, functional, and psychosocial factors, and the interactions between these factors, influence older adults' driving self-regulation is not well understood. Improving this understanding could lead to new ways of considering the mobility concerns faced by older drivers.

METHOD: A systematic review of the current literature was conducted to explore this issue. Twenty-nine empirical studies investigating the factors associated with older adults' self-regulatory driving behaviors were examined.

RESULTS: The review findings were used to construct the Multilevel Older Persons Transportation and Road Safety (MOTRS) model. The MOTRS model proposes that individual and environmental factors such as age, gender, and the availability of alternative transportation predict older adults' practice of driving-related self-regulation. However, these variables influence self-regulation through psychosocial variables such as driving confidence, affective attitude, and instrumental attitude toward driving.

DISCUSSIONS: The MOTRS model extends previous attempts to model older adults' driving by focusing on a novel target, driving self-regulation, and by including a wider range of predictors identified on the basis of the systematic literature review. This focus enables consideration of broader mobility issues and may inform new strategies to support the mobility of older adults.

Language: en