Transportation is a major facilitator between a person and his or her external environment. It determines whether the community functions as an inhibiting environment or as a supportive system.
Mobility is one of the activities of daily living which enhances a person's quality of life.
The growth in the aging of the overall population translates to a simultaneous increase in the number of older drivers. Demographic trends show that the proportion of older drivers will continue to multiply. Approximately 33 million drivers age 55 and over constituted 22 percent of all drivers in 1987. Today, older drivers represent 28 percent of the driving population and will grow to 39 percent by the year 2000. Surveys reveal that driving is how they prefer to maintain mobility.