[The elderly in traffic--future aspects]

In 1976 and 1982 two surveys about traffic and public transportation in the Federal Republic of Germany were undertaken. Four aspects which are meaningful for gerontological research are presented, i.e. possession of a driving license, ownership of a car, availability of a car in the own household and preferred transportation. The data are given for different age groups. These four aspects can be regarded as indicators for motor mobility. Far more people in younger age groups are in possession of a driving license than in older age groups. The same can be shown for the ownership and availability of a car. Compared with the 1976 data only few elderly people in 1982 had stopped using a car. So we can expect that German elderly people of the future will possess a driving license and drive a car in far greater numbers than elderly people today. The better possibilities of motor mobility will have consequences about traffic planning and psychological research about accidents, services for the elderly, and intergenerational relations.