Mobility impairments among the elderly in rural areas of Germany

Abstract

Demographic change is one important trend in western societies. Many developed countries are characterized by declining fertility rates in combination with rising longevity. Fur-thermore, the baby boomer generation has started to retire, so the growing demographic group of the elderly becomes more and more important. Under these circumstances, mobility issues become very important. Especially for older peo-ple daily outdoor activities are essential not only to maintain physical competence but also for the participation in social and cultural life. With rising age, the physical competence decreases more and more. In this context, gender differences need to be considered. Compared to men, older women are more affected by physical limitations. Hence, the objective of this study is an in-depth analysis of the travel behaviour of elderly people taking into account mobilty impairments using the example of Germany. The empiri-cal analysis is based on the representative Germany-wide mobility survey “Mobility in Germany 2008” (funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs). Findings show that the travel behaviour of elder people depends on age, gender and by the presence of mobilty impairments. Especially mobilty-impaired older women (75+) experience limitations in their mobility. So spatial and transport planning have to consider the various types of travel behaviour of this heterogeneous group. Keywords: elderly people, travel behaviour, mobility impairments, disability, Germany.