Older Adult Driving Gaps: Expert Transportation Tips

Kansas City — On April 25, 2026, aging experts are urging families to think about life after a senior gives up the car keys before a medical emergency makes the decision for them. For many older Americans, especially those in rural and suburban regions, losing the ability to drive is more than an inconvenience. It can cut off access to doctors, groceries, and the social connections that keep people healthy. The problem is expected to grow as the U.S. population ages, and too few families have a workable plan.

Kennie Sandbothe, 77, lives outside Kansas City in an area where a bus stop is a distant memory. After stopping driving, Sandbothe relies on a ride program for older adults and recently needed help getting to a medical appointment about 25 minutes away. Sandbothe joked about using a lawn tractor to get around because the trip would otherwise require a costly rideshare.

“There are no buses out here, not in this kind of rural area,” Sandbothe said. “An Uber every time would be too expensive.”

Sandbothe’s situation is complicated by health challenges. They are the primary caregiver for their spouse and manage Type 2 diabetes. Sandbothe also sees a psychiatrist for gender dysphoria, a condition in which a person’s gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth. Sandbothe credits that doctor with saving their life. But balance problems and sudden blood sugar swings made driving unpredictable, and Sandbothe chose to stop before causing harm.

“I never know when I’m going to fall or lose focus,” Sandbothe said. “I don’t want to black out behind the wheel and hurt someone.”

There is no fixed age for driving cessation. A University of Michigan poll from early 2025 found that 81% of drivers 65 and older feel confident about their driving today, but only 43% feel confident they will be safe behind the wheel five years from now. The gap shows that many seniors recognize changes are coming, even if they have not planned for them.

Rachel Ohlhausen, director of Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City, says the emotional weight of giving up driving is about more than convenience.

“It represents a new kind of loss of independence,” Ohlhausen said. “You can no longer decide on a whim to leave the house. Your time is suddenly tied to someone else’s schedule.”

The consequences can be severe. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has found that former drivers often get out less, have smaller social networks, and face a higher risk of depression. Multiple studies link driving cessation to cognitive decline, and experts increasingly describe transportation as a social determinant of health. Isolation, Ohlhausen notes, is comparable to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day in terms of long-term physical harm.

Public transit is rarely the full answer for older adults. Ohlhausen points out that even when bus routes exist, a senior using a walker may not be able to safely walk to the stop. The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center says transit options are often limited or absent altogether in rural and suburban communities.

Rideshare services help fill some gaps, but they come with barriers. In the Kansas City area, older adults must own a smartphone, know how to use the app, and have the financial ability to pay for trips. For many, those are steep hurdles.

“Even if you have the tech skills to download an app, can you afford the phone and the rideshare?” Ohlhausen said. “When people cannot find a ride, they often stop asking for help. They eventually fall off everyone’s radar.”

Sandbothe originally relied on a next-door neighbor, but that arrangement did not last.

“She helped me for a while, and then decided it wasn’t something she wanted to keep doing,” Sandbothe said. “I understand. People have their own lives. I don’t want to feel like I’m depending on anyone.”

The turning point came when Sandbothe contacted the local area office on aging and connected with Jet Express, a program run by Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City. The service offers door-to-door transportation for adults 60 and older in the Kansas City metro area. It costs $5 each way and operates using volunteers, paid drivers, and partner services. Ohlhausen says the program currently provides the main source of transportation for about 300 older adults.

Staff driver Chip Ingram transported Sandbothe to the medical appointment. Ingram says many older riders still feel capable of short local trips, but avoid major roads.

“Some of them still drive to the corner store, but they don’t want to get on a highway. It can be too nerve-wracking,” Ingram said.

Experts say families should start the driving conversation long before the first collision or close call. According to AgingCare.com, warning signs include delayed reaction time, frequent disorientation, more near-misses, difficulty spotting pedestrians or other vehicles, and fresh dents or scrapes on the car or garage. Any of these can mean it is time for a driving evaluation.

Amy Cameron O’Rourke, an aging expert at Aging Untold, recommends raising the topic as a normal part of family check-ins.

“Start before it becomes a problem,” O’Rourke said. “Ask questions casually and make it a routine conversation, not an intervention.”

Families should also involve a doctor to review medications, vision, and reflexes that affect driving safety. State department of motor vehicles offices can provide information about driver assessments, license restrictions, and possible re-examinations. Local agencies on aging can help identify transportation options such as volunteer driver programs, reduced-fare transit passes, or Medicaid transportation when eligible.

The growing need has also prompted calls for broader community solutions. Some cities are developing better coordination between health care providers and transit agencies so that a patient without reliable transportation is less likely to miss appointments. But for now, the responsibility often falls on family members to notice the signs and act early.

For Sandbothe, the Jet Express ride means more than getting to a doctor on time. It restores a small sense of control.

“I don’t want to be a burden, and I don’t want to risk hurting anyone,” Sandbothe said. “This gives me a way to get where I need to go.”