How to Get Around After Giving Up Driving
There are more ways to get around without driving than most people expect, and the right mix depends on where you live and what you need to do.
Most people piece together two or three options, not just one
Giving up driving doesn't mean staying home. Most former drivers end up using a combination: a ride service for some trips, a family member or neighbor for others, public transit or a senior van for the regular ones like medical appointments.
What works depends heavily on where you live. Someone in a city with buses and trains has different options than someone in a rural area where the nearest store is a long drive away. It also depends on what the trips are for. A weekly grocery run can often be scheduled ahead of time. A doctor's appointment that runs long needs something more flexible.
Where you live decides what's actually available
In a city or a larger town, you likely have public transit, ride services like Uber or Lyft, and possibly a dial-a-ride or paratransit service for older adults. Many transit agencies run a separate service for people who can no longer drive, often with door-to-door pickup, and it's worth calling the local transit authority to ask what they offer and how to sign up.
In a rural area, the options narrow. There may be a county or township senior van that runs on a schedule, often tied to the local Area Agency on Aging. Some of these require a day or two of advance notice, so trips need more planning than they used to.
Churches, senior centers, and community organizations sometimes run their own volunteer driver programs. These are often free or low cost, but they usually serve specific areas or specific kinds of trips, like medical visits. The local Area Agency on Aging can usually point to what's available nearby, since this varies a great deal by county and state.
It's worth building a short list of two or three options before the need is urgent. Knowing who to call ahead of time makes the actual transition much easier.
What trips you still need to make matters as much as distance
Regular trips, like a weekly dialysis appointment or a standing hair appointment, are worth setting up as a recurring arrangement with a family member, a volunteer driver program, or a scheduled transit service. Recurring trips are easier to plan around than one-off errands.
Medical appointments deserve their own plan. Some insurance plans, including certain Medicare Advantage plans, cover non-emergency medical transportation. It's worth asking the insurer directly whether this benefit exists and how to use it, since it isn't universal and the details vary by plan.
Grocery and pharmacy trips can often be reduced rather than replaced. Many pharmacies deliver, and most grocery stores now offer delivery or curbside pickup, which cuts down on how often a ride is needed at all.
Social trips, visiting friends, going to church, attending a grandchild's event, are the ones people tend to cut first when transportation gets harder, and they're often the ones that matter most for staying connected. It's worth asking a family member or friend to help specifically with these, not just the practical errands.
Questions people ask about this
How do I find a volunteer driver program near me?
Start with the local Area Agency on Aging, which keeps a list of volunteer driver and senior transportation programs for its county. Many are also listed through the Eldercare Locator, a national directory. Programs vary by area, so what's available depends entirely on where you live.
Will Medicare pay for a ride to the doctor?
Original Medicare generally doesn't cover routine rides to appointments, though some Medicare Advantage plans include a transportation benefit. The only way to know for sure is to call the specific plan and ask what's covered and how to arrange a ride.
Can I still keep my car without driving it?
Yes, but it still needs insurance, registration, and upkeep if it's going to sit, and an insurer can tell you whether a reduced-use or stored-car policy makes sense in the meantime. Some people choose to sell instead once they know they won't be driving again.
How do I ask a family member for rides without feeling like a burden?
Being specific helps. Asking for a single recurring trip, like a weekly appointment, is easier for everyone to plan around than open-ended requests. Many families find it works better to split the load between two or three people rather than relying on just one.
What happens to my car insurance if I stop driving but don't sell the car?
The policy doesn't end on its own. Call the insurer directly and ask about reducing coverage for a car that's no longer being driven, since the right adjustment depends on the state and the insurer's own rules.
If you're keeping the car for occasional use or for someone else to drive, it's worth seeing what a policy for your new situation would cost.
Call the local Area Agency on Aging this week and ask what transportation programs exist in the county, including volunteer driver programs and any senior van service. Call the transit authority separately if one serves the area, and ask specifically about paratransit or dial-a-ride. If there's a Medicare Advantage plan involved, call and ask whether it includes a transportation benefit and how to use it. Write down two or three options with their phone numbers so they're ready before a trip comes up unexpectedly. If the car is staying in the household, let the insurer know how it will be used going forward.
