Summary of LongROAD Research on Older Drivers from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety: 2017–2025
This brief provides a summation of the 24 AAA LongROAD research briefs published to date, which investigated different aspects of participants’ driving habits and safety. The brief concludes with a list of actionable recommendations gleaned from the existing body of work.
October 2025
Abstract
Introduction
While it is important for older adults to maintain their mobility, age-related functional declines can impact driving abilities, with important implications for road safety. To better understand factors influencing the safe mobility of older adults AAAFTS commissioned the Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study, a multisite prospective cohort study designed to generate empirical data for understanding the role of physical, cognitive, behavioral, environmental and technological factors in driving safety during the process of aging. Since data collection began in 2015, AAA Foundation has published over 24 research briefs investigating different aspects of participants’ driving habits and safety. This research brief summarizes key findings and recommendations from these research briefs.
Results
The brief begins with a concise overview of the LongROAD study, followed by summation of the findings of the 24 AAA LongROAD research briefs published to date, which investigated different aspects of the participants’ driving habits and safety. The findings are organized into sections by the broad research questions addressed in the included studies:
- How are driving habits impacted by health conditions and diminished functional ability?
- How prevalent is medication and substance use amongst older drivers and what are the associated driving patterns?
- What is the prevalence of alternative transportation use among older adults?
- How are aging drivers using advanced in-vehicle technology and features that can improve their driving ability?
- How do older drivers self-regulate to combat unsafe driving and how are they impacted by reducing or ceasing driving?
The brief concludes with a list of actionable recommendations gleaned from the existing body of work. The findings of these briefs help better understand aging drivers, their mobility needs, and how their needs and abilities change over time.
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