Demographic Differences in Use of Alternate Transportation Among Older Drivers: AAA LongROAD Study
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Summary
This research brief analyzes demographic differences in the use of alternate transportation modes among healthy older drivers, utilizing baseline data from the AAA Foundation’s Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study. The study addresses the critical issue of mobility maintenance as older adults transition away from driving, investigating whether the use of multiple non-driving transportation sources provides flexibility and reliability. The motivation stems from the need to understand how older adults navigate mobility beyond car ownership, particularly as they approach driving cessation. The study employed a cross-sectional analysis of 2,990 participants aged 65–79 years from five U.S. states (California, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, and New York). Participants were required to hold valid driver’s licenses, drive at least weekly, and have no significant cognitive impairment. Data were collected via self-report on the use of various transportation sources over the past three months, including riding as a passenger, public transit (bus, train/subway), taxis, ride-sharing services (Uber/Lyft), and other modes like walking or biking. Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests and Cochran-Armitage tests for trend, assessed associations between demographic factors—such as age, sex, race, marital status, employment, and income—and the type and number of alternate sources used. Results indicated that 89% of participants used at least one alternate transportation source, with 57% using only one source and 13% using three or more. Riding as a passenger with friends or family was the most common mode (87%), followed by train/subway (17%) and taxi/ride-sharing (16%). Significant demographic variations emerged: women were more likely than men to ride as passengers (90% vs. 83%), while men were more likely to use trains or taxis. Married or partnered individuals and those with household incomes over $50,000 were more likely to use multiple mixed-mode transportation sources. Conversely, non-use of alternate transportation was highest among men, single individuals, those aged 75–79, and those with incomes below $50,000. White participants were more likely to use taxis or ride-sharing services compared to non-white participants. The findings suggest that while most older drivers utilize at least one alternative to driving, access to diverse transportation options is unevenly distributed across demographic groups. The study highlights that prior experience and attitudes significantly influence the adoption of alternate modes, noting potential stigma associated with public transit. The authors conclude that communities should implement strategies to increase familiarity with public transport and reduce stigma, potentially through door-through-door assistance services. These interventions aim to support older adults in maintaining an active lifestyle and mitigating the negative health and social impacts associated with driving cessation.
Key finding
Among 2,990 older drivers, 89% used at least one alternate transportation source in the prior three months—most often riding as a passenger (87%)—but types and counts varied significantly by age, sex, race, marital status, employment, and income, with men, singles, ages 75–79, and lower incomes least likely to use alternates.
Methodology
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Sample size: 2990
Provenance
The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_aaa_foundation on 2026-05-23 (5 acquisition events logged).
| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | aaa_foundation | — | — | 2 | 2026-05-23 |
| archive | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
| chunk | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
| embed | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-02 |
| enrich | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 24 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
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- Empirical Findings: observational prevalence