Our study reveals a realm of aging experiences - i.e., bodily experiences - that influence age identity. Avenues for further research include examinations of other aging body reminders, as well as variation across individuals.

One of the strongest and most consistent predictors of self-regulated driving is gender, with women more likely than men to limit their driving in situations like bad weather or at night. However, studies have focused more on documenting these gender patterns than on explaining the processes underlying them, which may vary in their implications for transportation, health and ageing policy. Our study addresses this issue by examining two potential explanations for women's greater likelihood of self-regulated driving: their greater health limitations and use of driving alternatives. Using a nationally representative sample of older Americans (2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study, N = 4,842), we conducted logistic regressions predicting driving under four limitations: alone, at night, in rain or other bad weather and on highways. Our results provide stronger support for the driving alternatives explanation, especially women's greater reliance on rides from family and friends. Health limitations do contribute to explaining one of the self-regulated driving behaviours – avoiding driving alone. Our findings suggest that willingness to use driving alternatives is part of transitioning from driving. However, the relatively low use of all the alternatives we examined points to the importance of better understanding older adults’ transportation needs and preferences, including their gendered dimensions.

Background and ObjectivesPrior research examining predictors of older adults’ transition from driving has not considered age-related perceptions, such as age identity, that could shape decisions to limit, or self-regulate, one’s driving. Our study examines this possibility, testing the hypothesis that older (or less youthful) identities predict greater self-regulated driving.Research Design and MethodsUsing two waves of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS, 2011 and 2015), we run negative binomial regression models predicting the number of self-regulated driving behaviors, as a function of baseline age identity and change in age identity between the waves. Models control for factors shown to predict self-regulated driving, namely sociodemographics, health, and transportation support.ResultsSupporting our hypothesis, we find that older (or less youthful) identities at baseline and greater increases in age identity between the waves predict more self-regulated driving behaviors 4 years later, controlling on these behaviors at baseline. The results held in models controlling for sociodemographics, health, and transportation alternatives, suggesting that age identity exerts an independent effect on self-regulated driving.Discussion and ImplicationsOur study reveals that age identity affects later life driving decisions, contributing to our understanding of the process of transitioning from driving. It also adds to the long list of consequences of age-related perceptions revealed in prior research, much of it focused on health but not behaviors. Directions for future research include examining other age-related perceptions, such as aging anxieties or attitudes, and exploring the likely bidirectional process linking age-related perceptions and driving transitions.

High pet shelter need coupled with low availability exacerbates older adults' heightened vulnerability during Florida's hurricane season.