Project Description

As we move forward into the 21st Century there are many forces at work shaping our cities and towns. One of the most dominant forces in Australia and most industrialised countries is the ageing of the population, both as a proportion of the population and in sheer numbers. The implications for society are not yet fully understood. In the area of transport, our knowledge of the implications of the ageing of the population is limited.

This study, conducted for VicRoads by Steer Davies Gleave and TUTI, recognised that trends are already forming in many aspects of our society and that these trends can be useful in identifying the likely implications for understanding and responding to the travel needs of the elderly. The major objective of this study was to draw together findings from analyses of travel data sets and to integrate these findings with the studies of other major social trends such that an assessment of the likely future travel patterns of older persons could be made. Specifically, the objectives of the study were as follows:

Provide an understanding of the current and future travel patterns of older people
Gain a greater understanding of the locations of where older people live and travel
Provide an indication of the dependence of older people on the motor vehicle
Examine the safety record of older drivers, and estimate future trends in road safety with an ageing population.

Publications

Richardson, A.J. (2001). "Crash Rates by Age and Sex of Traveller". 24th Australasian Transport Research Forum, Hobart.(pdf, 40k)

Richardson, A.J. and Bell, D.A. (2001). "A Simulation of Traffic Crashes into the 21st Century". 24th Australasian Transport Research Forum, Hobart.(pdf, 56k)