For people making retirement plans, spending time thinking on how they’ll get from point A to point B often seems unnecessary. After all, the average U.S. worker retires at 62, an age when many people have no problem hopping into their cars and hitting the road.
Many people assume they’ll be able to drive safely their entire lives so they don’t give transportation a second thought when making retirement plans. But more than likely, there will come a day when driving will no longer be a safe and viable option. According to the American Journal of Public Health, the average American woman outlives her ability to drive safely by 10 years and the average American man by seven.
Here are just a few reasons you’ll want to plan for how you’ll get around when your driving days are over:
Regardless of whether you’re planning to stay in your home, downsize to a smaller home or relocate to a retirement living community, it makes good sense to consider transportation in your retirement plans.
You can start by taking a closer look at just how much you depend on your car to get around today. Then, consider the infrastructure or transportation network you would need in place to live how you want after you’ve given up driving. If your transportation needs won’t be met where you live currently, you may want to start considering the possibility of retirement relocation.
Trying to figure out your transportation plans in retirement? Share your ideas and solutions below.
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About Kendal at Oberlin: Kendal is a nonprofit life plan community serving older adults in northeast Ohio. Located about one mile from Oberlin College and Conservatory, and about a 40-minute drive from downtown Cleveland, Kendal offers a vibrant resident-led lifestyle with access to music, art and lifelong learning.