Travel Patterns of Older Australians in an International Context: Policy Implications and Options

Abstract

International data and data from a major household travel survey undertaken in Melbourne, Victoria—the Victorian Activity Travel Survey (VATS)—are used to address the following questions: (a) to what extent can older people meet their own transportation needs when they cannot drive, and (b) what special safety concerns are raised now and in the future by the growing number of older drivers. VATS data show that Australian travel patterns parallel those observed in other developed countries: older people are increasingly more reliant on the car. The number of trips that will be lost when they must give up or reduce driving is substantial. Policy makers must start now to understand the dimension of the problem and the ways in which it can be addressed.