Transportation Options for Seniors Who No Longer Drive

If you’ve decided to give up your driver’s license or can no longer drive, you’re not alone—many seniors face this transition. The good news is that plenty of transportation options are available to help you stay active, independent, and connected to your community. While some services may vary depending on where you live, here’s an overview of the most common options to consider.

Public Transit
Public transit is a reliable and affordable way to get around, especially in towns and cities. Most areas offer bus services, and many have additional options like trains, subways, or ferries. To make using public transit easier, many places offer transit passes or cards that you can load with money or use as a monthly pass. For example, in British Columbia, seniors can use a Compass Card, which works for buses, the Sea Bus, SkyTrain, and even the West Coast Express. These cards are often available at local pharmacies or transit centers, and there’s usually a small refundable deposit to get started. If you’re not sure what’s available in your area, a quick online search or a call to your local transit authority can point you in the right direction.

Accessible Door-to-Door Services
For seniors with mobility challenges, door-to-door transportation services can be a game-changer. In British Columbia, for example, HandyDART provides shared rides for individuals with permanent or temporary disabilities. They’ll pick you up at your door and drop you off at the accessible entrance of your destination. Similar services exist in other regions, often under different names, so it’s worth checking with your local government or community organizations to see what’s available near you.

Ride-hailing apps Like Uber
If you’re comfortable using a smartphone, ride-hailing services like Uber can be a convenient option. All you need is an email address or phone number to sign up. Once you download the app, you can request a ride by entering your destination and confirming your pickup location. The app will show you the driver’s details and the estimated cost before you book, so there are no surprises. Uber is expanding to more areas, but if it’s not available where you live, other similar apps might be.

Traditional Taxi Services
Taxis are another reliable option, especially if you prefer not to use technology. While they can be more expensive than ride-hailing services, they’re widely available in most cities and towns. If you’re on a budget, it’s a good idea to compare prices between taxis and ride-hailing apps to see which works best for you.

Community and Volunteer Programs
In some areas, especially rural communities, affordable transportation can be harder to find. However, many local organizations, senior centers, or volunteer groups offer transportation services specifically for seniors. These programs might include shuttle services, volunteer drivers, or even carpooling options. Reaching out to your local senior center or community organization can help you discover these resources.

A Few Helpful Tips
No matter which option you choose, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Always confirm the cost of your ride before booking, especially with taxis or ride-hailing services.
• If you’re using a new service for the first time, consider bringing a friend or family member along until you feel comfortable.
• Don’t hesitate to ask for help—many transit services and community programs have staff or volunteers who can guide you through the process.

Giving up your driver’s license doesn’t mean giving up your independence. With so many transportation options available, you can still get where you need to go safely and comfortably. If you’re unsure where to start, reach out to your local senior center, transit authority, or community organization—they’re there to help!

 

Licencing Issues for Seniors

One of the workshops I give is on Licencing Issues for Seniors. In BC when a person reaches 80, they have to go in for a medical assessment to see if they are still able to drive.  As one ages, specific functions related to driving skills may be impaired. These functions include vision, hearing, sensation, and cognitive and motor abilities. For example, a decline in peripheral vision may affect the ability to pass approaching vehicles safely, and the decreased range of motion in an older person's neck may impair the ability to look behind when backing up. In addition, reaction time decreases by almost 40 percent on average from age 35 to 65. 

The aging process may also affect cognitive skills. Short-term memory loss, for instance, can impair driving skills by interfering with a person's ability to process information efficiently when merging with traffic or changing lanes. Such difficulties are magnified when the older driver performs these driving skills under stressful conditions. The higher incidence of cognitive impairment, particularly dementia, among older adults produces an increased risk of accident involvement. 

As a group, persons age 65 and older are relatively safe drivers. Although they represent 14 percent of all licensed drivers, they are involved in only 8 percent of police-reported crashes and 11 percent of fatal crashes. This can be compared to drivers age 16 to 24, who are involved in 26 percent of police-reported crashes and 26 percent of fatal crashes, but represent only 14 percent of licensed drivers.

In fact, drivers age 65 and older have a lower rate of crash involvement per 1,000 licensed drivers than any other age group. They also drive fewer miles on average than any other age group.

When drivers over 65 are involved in crashes, the situations and reasons are generally different from those associated with crashes involving younger drivers. For older drivers, the situations in which crashes occur most frequently are when they are turning left, whereas for younger drivers, crashes occur most often while they are driving on a straight road or highway. The errors most often involved in older driver crashes are failing to yield right of way or not responding properly to stop signs and traffic lights. By comparison, the errors most frequently made by younger drivers are related to speed or to following too close.

Among all drivers age 65 and older, it is the oldest drivers who pose more risk to themselves and to public safety. For all adults age 25 to 64, and for adults age 65 to 69, the rate of crashes per miles driven is relatively constant. The rate begins to rise at age 70, and increases rapidly at age 80.

Older persons may also regulate their own driving behavior. They may stop driving or limit driving to accommodate their individual declining capabilities. On average, persons age 65 and older drive substantially fewer miles than drivers in any younger age group.

In addition, older drivers often adopt different travel patterns, driving shorter distances, driving less at night, and avoiding rush hours, major highways, and bad weather conditions.