Abstract

CLASSEN, Sherrilene et al. Transportation and ageing: Exploring stakeholders' perspectives on advancing safe mobility. S. Afr. j. occup. ther. [online]. 2011, vol.41, n.3, pp.18-24. ISSN 2310-3833.

Issues of safe transportation for older adults are multifaceted and must include multiple perspectives if significant progress is to be made in the next decade as the baby-boomers begin to reach age 70. Previous work has explored the main barriers that older adults face in terms of maintaining safe mobility, promising practices for overcoming these barriers, and pressing research needs in the area that still need to be addressed. This paper expands upon this work by addressing five system-wide issues identified by a range of stakeholders that impact the success of policies and programs designed to enhance safe mobility for older adults: collaboration and communication; economics of driving reduction and cessation; the role of a traffic safety culture in maintaining safe mobility; the environment; and knowledge and education. Each of these issues is discussed based on the empirical literature. The intent of this article is to improve the safe mobility of older adults by fostering a more focused and stakeholder driven research agenda for current transportation scientists, inform agents of the ageing network of service opportunities, and create plausible opportunities for policy making.

Keywords : Collaboration; driving; economics; education; infrastructure; traffic safety.

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