Fit to Drive: A Pilot Study to Improve the Physical Fitness of Older Drivers

This pilot study aimed to explore whether maintaining a driver's license could motivate older adults to participate in a regular fitness program, and determine whether gains in fitness could result in self-perceived improvements in driving. Physical measures and questionnaires were collected from 19 participants and 5 controls. For the intervention group, men showed significant gains in one measure of endurance, while women showed gains in strength, endurance, agility, flexibility, and hand reaction time. Half of the participants felt their driving skills had improved, and 40% reported an increase in driving confidence. Controls showed some improvements in endurance and foot reaction time but no self-reported improvements in driving. This study contributes to the understanding of older adults' motivation for activity participation, and suggests that improvements in physical conditioning may have a positive impact on driver safety.