Active mobility in higher age: cycling is related to maintaining car driving performance

People who cycle regularly as they get older can maintain their driving skills for longer – even though cyclists are not automatically ‘better’ drivers. This is suggested by the findings of a six-year longitudinal study on safe driving among older people, funded by the Federal Highway and Transport Research Institute (BASt) and conducted by the Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo) in collaboration with uzbonn.

Over a period of around six years, 260 active drivers repeatedly completed a trip of approximately 45 minutes in a driving simulator. This was supplemented by tests and questionnaires on health, cognition and driving history. The survey looked at how confidently they handle typical challenging traffic situations – such as turning left, changing lanes or cycling in poor visibility. Participants also indicated how often they cycle and what other physical activities they engage in.

The fitness level doesn't matter

After six years, with up to four rides per participant in total, the findings showed that regular cycling was not associated with generally better driving performance, but it was linked to a slower decline in driving ability over the six-year period. “Our data show that whilst cycling is not generally related to improved driving performance, it could help to delay the age-related decline in safe driving ability,” says Prof. Dr Stephan Getzmann, head of the research group “Aging” at IfADo.

Those who never or rarely cycled showed, on average, a slight annual increase in the derived risk index, whilst this index tended to stabilise or improve slightly among frequent cyclists. Other leisure activities, such as hiking, fitness training or dancing, did not, however, show a comparable correlation with changes in cycling performance.

A look inside the brain: cycling appears to relieve mental stress

Brain activity was measured via EEG in 145 people during the simulator ride. Frequent cycling was associated with lower theta activity – a pattern that indicates reduced mental strain and a more alert, focused state whilst cycling. “Frequent cycling was associated with lower brain activity in an area associated with high mental strain,” explains Getzmann. “This suggests that these individuals handle complex traffic situations with greater ease and efficiency.” At the same time, higher theta activity was linked to a greater deterioration in cycling performance over time.

Exercise programmes for older people to help them maintain their mobility

“Our findings suggest that active mobility, such as regular cycling, can help older people maintain their cycling skills for longer,” says Getzmann. “However, this is no substitute for road safety training, and certainly not for safe infrastructure for older cyclists.” Furthermore, the researchers point out that more frequent cycling is also associated with a higher risk of cycling accidents, which pose a significant risk of injury, particularly for older cyclists.

Further information on the long-term study from which the data is derived can be found on the website of the Federal Highway Research Institute: https://www.bast.de/DE/Publikationen/BerichteBASt/Berichte/unterreihe-m/2026-2025/m352.html