Car Free Family

Your Generation

26 Nov 2010

SteveCar Free, generations 1 Comment

have been thinking a lot about ageing this week.  This is not only because occasionally nowadays when I look in the mirror in a morning someone from the crypt looks back at me.

In fact I have been reading, along with my colleague Beth (to see what she likes click on link to the right), some fantastic articles on ageing and lifestyle and mobility.  Fascinating reading.  Loads of lovely scary statistics:By 2040 more than 22% of the UK population will be over 65 and 7% over 80.  (By 2044 I’ll hopefully be one of those 80+ year olds and will be regularly scaring myself in the mirror (this does not appear in the stats).)By 2030 one quarter of all registered drivers will be over 65 – a 50% increase .

Now obviously there’s a load of issues around this for older people, policy makers in mobility, health, urban planning etc (more toilets please!!! – many older (and younger) people experience incontinence – in a recent Help the Aged Poll 52% of respondents agreed that a lack of toilets in their local area stopped them going out as often as they would like).

And if you can’t get out, due to lack of access to a car, buses, places to go (as your local shops are now in a distant shopping centre), because you’re lacking confidence etc etc, you become increasingly isolated: there’s been an increase of over 50% in older people reporting that they feel often or always lonely.

Many of the older car driver predictions note how important it will be to ensure driving is made easier and safer for older people, but also that those without access to a car or who give it up (see blogg www.carfreefamily.com/2010/06/19/154/ for my Mum and Dad’s experience) will be increasingly marginalized (especially for rural and suburban older people).

A recent US study showed that problems with eyesight and having no reason to drive (the latter makes you think) are the two largest reasons for giving up the car.  Was a bit of a dodgy sample though – not many low income people.

But two interesting things:

1:. Future elderly people (me…and YOU): will we be as married to the car as current older people?  My own background and expectations for mobility are very different to Chris’ (though I hope to be walking to the pub every day at 85 – it’s a Cassidy thing).  Will we be more married to it? Or will the future elderly be so much more environmentally aware? And economically aware?   Will petrol be so expensive that only the very rich (older people) can afford a car?

2: Good news!!!!! A great article from University of Arizona (Sandra Rosenbloom) looked at how adult children in the UK and US view the cessation of driving by their parents.  Finding: nightmare – they dread it – especially if their parents live in rural or suburban areas and the adult child lives close enough to have to help! It’s seen as a huge burden.

So what is the good news? Well – it’s for my lovely daughters Tess and Maddie: If I continue to live in a city, and extend my car-free year to a lifetime, YOU WILL HAVE NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ME GIVING UP MY CAR!  I have done it already!  My gift to you.  Call it your inheritance – I’ll spend the money…