Driving Cessation and Health in Older Women

Abstract

To study the association of health and driving cessation in older female drivers, a mail survey was sent to all Finnish women born in 1927 who gave up their driver license at the age of 70 (n = 1,476) and to a corresponding random sample of women who renewed their license at the age of 70 (n = 1,494). The ex-drivers had poorer overall health status than the drivers, but the health conditions related to driving cessation were in general not of the type impairing driving ability but rather decreasing overall well-being and physical mobility. The results suggest that there is a significant number of older women giving up their license while still fit to drive; hence, for many women, driving cessation may imply a voluntary but unnecessary resignation from an active and independent life.