In 2015, more than 85% of adults aged 65-84 and nearly 70% of adults aged 85 and older were licensed to drive. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated a 33% increase in the number of licensed older drivers in the US between 2006 and 2015, with 47.8 million licensed older drivers in 20152. This number is expected to increase as the population of older adults increases during the next five decades. By 2025, approximately 1 in 5 drivers will be age 65 or older, and research has found that they outlive their decision to stop driving by about 10 years for women and 7 years for men.
Most older adults rely primarily on private automobile or walking to meet their travel needs. The use of a private automobile has many benefits for the older adult, including being a reliable and convenient way to maintain social connections, access goods and services, and fulfill other household needs. However, estimates suggest that men and women have about 7 and 10 years, respectively, of unmet mobility need.
