Alternative Transportation Use and Life Satisfaction Among Older Drivers: AAA LongROAD Study
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Summary
This research brief examines the relationship between the use of alternative transportation modes and self-reported life satisfaction among older adults who remain licensed drivers. Drawing from the AAA Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study, the research investigates how fluctuations in the use of eight non-driving transportation modes—public bus, train/subway, taxi, special community transportation, rides with friends or family, volunteer drivers, rideshare services, and walking or biking—correlate with satisfaction in daily life, family life, and health over a five-year period. The study aims to understand mobility patterns and their impact on well-being, highlighting the need for diverse transportation options to support safe mobility and equity for older adults, particularly outside urban centers. The analysis utilized longitudinal data from 2,777 participants aged 65 to 79 at baseline, recruited from five diverse U.S. sites between 2015 and 2017. Data were collected annually through 2022 via questionnaires assessing transportation use within the past three months and satisfaction levels on a 1–5 Likert scale. Random-effects linear regression models were employed to assess associations between transportation use and satisfaction, adjusting for demographic variables, rural-urban commuting area codes, perceived driving abilities, and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants who permanently ceased driving were excluded from subsequent analyses. Descriptive results indicated that income was a significant determinant of both transportation use and satisfaction. Participants earning less than $20,000 annually reported the lowest satisfaction scores and the lowest prevalence of riding with friends or family (71.1%), whereas those earning $100,000 or more reported the highest usage of this mode (90.2%) and highest satisfaction levels. Over the study period, overall alternative transportation use declined, likely influenced by the pandemic, with rideshare usage peaking in Year 3 before dropping. Satisfaction scores remained relatively stable but showed a slight downward trend, particularly in health satisfaction. Regression analyses revealed that most alternative transportation modes were not significantly associated with life satisfaction. Exceptions included baseline train/subway use and walking/biking, which were associated with slightly higher health and daily life satisfaction, and increased use of public buses, which correlated with higher health satisfaction. The findings suggest that while alternative transportation use does not broadly drive life satisfaction, income disparities significantly influence both mobility options and well-being. The study underscores a critical equity gap, noting that public transit options are largely unavailable in rural and micropolitan areas, excluding many older adults from safe, low-cost mobility. The authors conclude that advocacy for expanded, diverse transportation infrastructure is essential to support older adults, particularly those with lower incomes or those who reduce driving, thereby enhancing safety and reducing congestion for all road users.
Key finding
Regression analyses indicated that satisfaction with daily life, family life, and health were not associated with the use of most alternative transportation modes at baseline or with changes in use over time, with minor positive associations observed for train/subway use and walking/biking.
Methodology
naturalistic
Sample size: 2777
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 (6 acquisition events logged).
| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 3 | 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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