The impact of urban vs rural environments on driving mobility and safety in older age

Morrissey, Sol, Jeffs, Stephen, Gillings, Rachel, Khondoker, Mizanur, Fisher-Morris, Mary, Manley, Ed and Hornberger, Michael (2025) The impact of urban vs rural environments on driving mobility and safety in older age. Transportation Research Part F: Psychology and Behaviour, 114. pp. 821-830. ISSN 1369-8478

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Abstract

Older rural drivers rely more on driving due to limited transportation options, but the impact of cognition on driving in urban versus rural settings is unclear. This study examined whether cognitive changes affect driving mobility and road safety differently across these populations. In a prospective cohort study, 969 older drivers completed driving behaviour and road traffic incident (RTI) history questionnaires, followed by cognitive testing, with a follow-up one year later. We find that older rural drivers have a greater driving mobility than older urban drivers and are less likely to reduce their driving mobility over time, as only urban residents with cognitive decline reduced their driving space. RTI incidence was higher in urban areas, with a stronger link between poor cognition and increased RTI risk in urban residents. This study suggests the interaction between cognitive changes and environmental setting on driving behaviour, providing insights for policy development on driving mobility and safety among older adults.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Data availability: Data will be made available on request. Funding: This work was supported by the UK Department for Transport (grant number: R208830). This study is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration East of England (NIHR ARC EoE) at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. S. Morrissey’s studentship is jointly funded by the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of East Anglia (United Kingdom), and the Earle and Stuart Charitable Trust. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care (United Kingdom).
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Lifespan Health
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Nutrition and Preventive Medicine
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Population Health
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Norwich Epidemiology Centre
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Norwich Epidemiology Centre
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Epidemiology and Public Health
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Statistics
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Norwich Institute for Healthy Aging
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Mental Health
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 07 Jul 2025 15:30
Last Modified: 07 Jul 2025 15:30
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/99856
DOI: 10.1016/j.trf.2025.07.005

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