Ready to hand in your keys?

YOUR car gives you a sense of independence. You pick up the keys and head to the shops, visit a friend, or maybe the local sports centre whenever you like. But how would you feel if you were told you were no longer fit enough to drive and had to hand in your keys?

Giving-up driving is not all doom and gloom though. It could actually improve your quality of life.

Australian National University PhD student Sarah Walker plans to build on her research about the positive impact seniors experience when they give up driving. She hopes to gain a better understanding about why some people cope better than others with the situation and whether her findings can help those who do not deal with giving up driving.

Walker’s study Giving up Driving Not all Bad examined about 40 volunteers in the Australian Capital Territory ranging in age from 65 to their early 90s, who had ceased driving.

“Other studies have shown that giving up driving can lead to poorer physical health, increased risk of mortality, depressive symptoms and emotional distress,” she said.

“But little is known about people’s actual experiences, the cognitive coping strategies used to deal with these detrimental and often distressing consequences, or the positive impacts of quitting driving.”

The research, which looked at filling these gaps, produced some interesting results, Walker said.

“In some cases, individuals felt relief at no longer having to drive, personal growth through adversity and learning acceptance and monetary savings,” she said. “Most individuals make lifestyle changes to adapt to life without a car, for example using other ways of getting around, shopping closer to home or on a bus route and finding new activities.”

Walker said one person involved with the study told her it was a blissful feeling giving up driving, while another highlighted the benefit of getting more exercise.

SuperLiving spoke to Ivy, 82, who still has her driver’s license and said her car was essential.

“I don’t go far, I use my car for shopping and to come down to the seniors club I go to about five days a week,” she said.

“If I didn’t have a car, I would have to get a taxi, which would be more expensive than running a car ... I don’t know about it being a sign of relief.”

Walker said that for some, giving up driving was not a good situation.

“Driving for many people is important as it makes them feel independent ... abruptly stopping driving can mean there has been no choice in the matter, however, this is not necessarily a barrier to adapting to the changes or accepting life without a car,” she said.

“Further research in this area is vital in dealing with the health of Australia’s ageing population.”

In Australia, about 1.5 million people are aged between 65 and 74 – the age that the majority of drivers are known to give-up their licence.

“The difference between how long people are thought to live and how long they are expected to keep driving means that on average, 70 to 74-year-olds can expect to live about 5 to 10 years without being able to drive a car,” Walker said.

The next stage of research will be carried out across the country.

“[This stage] will ask the question about what is the availability of another driver, social interaction, public transport, access to shops and services,” she said.

“My hypothesis is that people’s coping style may have an impact on the giving-up driving experience.”

National Senior’s Association chief executive officer Michael O’Neill said the organisation welcomed the research, and said more research to get a better understanding about seniors giving up driving was important.

O’Neill said it has become a trend in Australia for aged care facilities, for example, to be located in regional or outer suburban areas.

He said this sometimes made it difficult to access public transport or local services.