Internal Factors that Influence Coping in Older Drivers’ Transition to Non-Driving
DOI: 10.1177/07334648241298670
archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified
Get this paper ↗ (DOI — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)
Summary
This study investigates how internal psychological factors influence coping strategies during the transition from driving to non-driving among older adults. As aging often necessitates driving cessation, a process linked to emotional distress and loss of independence, understanding predictors of effective coping is critical for supporting quality of life. While external factors like social support are known to influence this transition, the role of internal factors, specifically attitudinal readiness and personality traits, remains less understood. The research aimed to determine if these internal characteristics predict the adoption of alternative transportation and reductions in driving behavior over time. The analysis utilized longitudinal data from the Advancing Understanding of Transportation Options (AUTO) randomized controlled trial, which evaluated a driving decision aid. The study population consisted of 301 drivers aged 70 or older, recruited between December 2019 and June 2021, with follow-up assessments at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Internal factors were measured using the Assessment of Readiness for Mobility Transition (ARMT) to gauge attitudinal readiness and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) to assess five personality traits. Out included self-reported use of alternative transportation and any reduction in driving behavior. Researchers employed cross-sectional logistic regression for baseline associations and longitudinal generalized linear mixed-effects models to analyze changes over time, adjusting for covariates such as age, gender, health status, and neighborhood deprivation. The results indicated that attitudinal readiness was a significant predictor of transportation behavior, whereas personality traits were not. Older drivers with high attitudinal readiness had significantly higher odds of using alternative transportation over the study period compared to those with low readiness (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 6.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.45–28.1). Similarly, those with mixed readiness were more than twice as likely to use alternative transportation compared to those with low readiness (aOR = 2.06; 95% CI: 1.03–4.12). However, no personality characteristics were associated with alternative transportation use. Furthermore, neither attitudinal readiness nor personality traits showed a statistically significant association with the odds of reducing driving behavior over the 24-month follow-up. The findings suggest that attitudinal readiness for mobility transition is a key internal factor influencing effective coping, specifically regarding the adoption of alternative transportation modes. This highlights the importance of addressing psychological preparedness in interventions designed to support older adults through driving cessation. The study implies that clinicians and policymakers should focus on enhancing readiness to help older adults leverage alternative mobility options, potentially mitigating negative emotional outcomes. Limitations include a sample predominantly composed of White, highly educated individuals in urban or suburban settings, which may restrict generalizability to rural or under-resourced populations. Future research should explore longer follow-up periods and diverse sociodemographic groups to better understand how readiness influences driving reduction and overall wellbeing.
Key finding
Older drivers with high attitudinal readiness for mobility transition had significantly higher odds of using alternative transportation over time compared to those with low readiness, while personality characteristics were not associated with transportation or driving behavior changes.
Methodology
naturalistic
Sample size: 301
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 author_sweep_intake on 2026-05-27.
| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | author_sweep | — | — | 2 | 2026-05-27 |
| archive | success | unpaywall | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-06 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 3 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | clean | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-04 |
| chunk | success | chunk | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-04 |
| embed | success | embed | Qwen/Qwen3-Embedding-8B | — | 1 | 2026-06-04 |
| enrich | skipped | — | — | — | 3 | 2026-06-04 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-04 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 15 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
Topics
Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.