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Cars now friendlier, safer for seniors
By Ledyard King, Gannett News Service
November 24, 2003
Night vision windshields. Adjustable brake and gas pedals. Brightly lit dashboard instruments. Warning systems.
Carmakers and researchers are racing to develop new features to accommodate America's aging baby boomers, helping them drive more safely as their sight or reflexes diminish.
At Ford Motor Co., engineers don a body suit to simulate the arthritic condition of some seniors and wear cataract goggles to understand what it's like to have limited sight.
"It really allows our engineers to understand what the older generation is dealing with,'' said Ford spokesman Miles Johnson.
There are about 19 million licensed drivers age 65 and over today, a number expected to more than double by 2030.
Older people are involved in a disproportionately high number of intersection crashes compared with other age groups, partly due to a decline in their reflexes, researchers say. Many of those crashes are fatal for senior citizens, who are less able to recover from severe injuries.
The industry responded by making side air bags a standard feature in most new cars, improving safety for drivers and passengers of all ages.
Ford also is working with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's AgeLab to examine collision warning systems to determine what kinds of visual or auditory signals older drivers would notice first.
Toyota recently unveiled its 2004 Prius model that actually parallel parks itself using technology to help guide the car into position. That can be a big help when your depth perception isn't what it used to be.
Cadillac offers sensors to detect moving shapes in front of the car when it's dark. BMW has moved some of the non-essential dashboard controls to the armrest. And some carmakers are looking at warning systems that change the sound of the turn signal if the vehicle is close to colliding with another object.
Such advancements could prove invaluable, said Joe Coughlin who directs MIT's AgeLab. But they also could force older drivers to unlearn habits they've honed over decades and trust their vehicles to protect them, he said.
New cars are not always affordable for those living on fixed incomes. So a project at the University of Massachusetts Boston is looking at cheap ways to turn the old sedan into a senior-friendly car.
The university's Gerontology Institute is developing a video on low-cost modifications that they plan to distribute through senior organizations. Among the adjustments likely to be suggested:
Wider rear view mirrors to increase driver vision.
Sun shields and window tinting to reduce glare.
Pedal extenders to make the brakes and the accelerator easier to reach.
Curb feelers to alert drivers when they're close to the curb
Other organizations also are looking at ways of making seniors more comfortable in their cars so they can react quickly to unexpected situations.
The CARFIT project by the AAA, the American Society on Aging and other groups will assess for drivers whether their mirrors are adjusted correctly, whether they can reach their seat belts easily and whether there are other ways to improve the car interior. Jeffrey Finn with the American Society on Aging said the idea is to make sure they are in the best position to deal with the unexpected.
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© 2002 Global Action on Aging
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