Sea Change Means Motoring Change

Author: NRMA Media Date: 11 December 2008

As New South Wales's population ages and many retirees seek a sea change, a recent study by NRMA Motoring & Services has fuelled debate about the transport and mobility needs of our ageing society.

According to the Department of Planning, Transport and Population Data Centre, State and Regional population projections1, the population of NSW in 2030 will be significantly larger and significantly older than it is today.

NRMA Director Graham Blight said governments and communities needed to start thinking about strategies for coping with a much older population, particularly as many seniors seek relocation to smaller population centres in regional areas.

"The implications of what to do when this massive proportion of the population can no longer drive are significant," Mr Blight said.

"Road and pedestrian infrastructure and public transport options are some of the things that need to be considered as our population ages.

"Governments are yet to grasp that the majority of the, baby boomer" generation will have held driving licences and had access to vehicles; will prefer driving as their primary means of transport; and will have been the first to have been dependent on their driver's licence and car for their whole lives."

The NSW study indicated the state's population will increase from almost seven million people in 2006 to almost 8.3 million people in 2031. A significant proportion of the increase will be people aged 65 and older, who currently make up 14% of the population but will increase to over one in five (22%) in 2031, when there will be 1.8 million people 65 and over in NSW.

There will be a significant rise in the number of, very old" people, with the number of people in NSW aged 100 years or older expected to increase from 1,000 now to 6,500 by 2026, and 8,200 by 2031.

Mr Blight said residents were usually around retirement age when they relocated to smaller communities outside major cities and at that time are usually mobile, however. If later on they are unable to drive, their ability to get around can be severely limited if there are no alternative transport options available.

The NRMA identified a number of areas that government and communities need to focus on to understand and address the broader social policies which affect the transport needs of older people including:

• Vehicle manufacturers will need to build safer and also more appropriate vehicles; paying attention to door opening, location and size of speedometer, type of mirrors and seat belt adjusters.
• Road and pedestrian infrastructure will need to ensure that the needs of older people are included when planning future infrastructure needs including signage and line marking, turn right arrows, longer timing for pedestrians to cross at traffic lights.
• Improved systems for assessing competency to drive by monitoring state licensing systems, advocating for changes to be research based and monitoring the changes to reflect trends such as reduction in injury/fatality rates and impact on people's mobility.
• Accurate, up-to-date information will need to be provided to families, health-care providers and seniors' organisations, as well as the wider public, so the community can become knowledgeable about the issues of older drivers and their mobility needs.
• More accessible information from governments (Federal, State and local) from groups including Council on the Ageing, Department Ageing Disability & Home Care, Veterans Affairs, NGO community centres, seniors' organisations and motoring clubs.
• Driver training programs will need to reach drivers at the right time (early intervention) with appropriate information.
• Improved public transport including the location and scheduling of services. The needs of older people will need to be considered in making improvements to existing services and the development of new services (eg park and ride near transport hubs, access, lighting, seating, lifts, toilets, etc).
• Increased community transport and alternative transport options are required, particularly in areas which have higher numbers of seniors.
• Planning and Policy Partnerships with organisations including Council on the Ageing, Department Ageing Disability & Home Care, Department of Health/Community Health Centres, Veterans Affairs, university faculties involved in research on aspects of ageing, AMA, College of General Practice, and motoring clubs to enhance the safety and quality-of-life of NSW's older drivers.

Reference: 1 Based on calculations from data from the Department of Planning, Transport and Population Data Centre, State and Regional population projections 2004-51, 2005 release, A preferred series, Table 2.

Editor's Note: The full report titled Let Miss Daisy Do The Driving is available as a hard or soft copy.