Autonomous Vehicles and Older Adults (65+)

Why Do Older Adults Need Assisted Driving Cars

Millions of older adults or senior citizens (age 65+) in the United States are unable or unwilling to drive conventional vehicles. Fully autonomous or “self-driving” vehicles have been described as a potentially transformative transportation technology for older adults given that the most advanced of these technologies are projected to operate without a human driver and with minimal direct human control.

By removing the need for direct management of safety critical controls (e.g., steering, acceleration, and braking), older adults and persons with a range of disabilities may potentially travel safely, independently, and conveniently which is why autonomous vehicles for older adults should be brought to a new level.

Despite the promise of this technology, however, there are significant knowledge gaps as it relates to experiential needs, user preferences, and concerns of seniors relative to self-driving vehicles. There are a lot of businesses including car renting services, taxi services, and other automotive industry-related services, that need a better way to research the market.

How, for instance, should a self-driving vehicle accommodate a senior with speech difficulty, a motor disability, or hearing loss, for instance? What are the preferences of seniors regarding vehicle interaction and operation and do these preferences differ from those of younger adults? These and other knowledge gaps are problematic given that good design, in nearly all domains, is often driven by user research and a deep understanding of user needs which can be done through simple accessibility research which is carried out by an accessibility consulting company. This knowledge gap may therefore serve as an impediment to the accessibility of this emerging technology for seniors and a de facto barrier to consumer adoption.

Older Citizens Face Mobility Issues Every Day

While issues with mobility exist for other populations, persons with disabilities, for instance, mobility for seniors will grow increasingly important given the size, overall wealth, and increasing life expectancy of the senior population.

According to the US. Census Bureau, there were approximately 35 million people in the U.S. age 65 and older in 2003 [1]. This number increased by nearly 27\% from 2003 to 2013 to approximately 43 million people.

It is projected that by 2030 there will be roughly 74 million seniors living in the United States; representing more than a quarter of the total U.S. population [2]. Unlike many other mobility-challenged populations, seniors collectively have significant financial means to support their transportation and mobility needs.

Failure to adequately consider the needs and concerns of this group could prove disastrous for consumer adoption given that older adults, more than other groups, have the financial wherewithal to purchase what are anticipated to be initially costly self-driving vehicles.

To learn more about Seilene and how we might help your company innovate please reach out: Julian Brinkley, PhD, PMP – julian.brinkley@seilene.com or reach out to our east coast office at us@seilene.com

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References

1. U. C. Bureau, “Older Population and Aging.” https://www.census.gov/topics/population/older-aging.html (accessed May 02, 2019).
2. J. R. Knickman and E. K. Snell, “The 2030 Problem: Caring for Aging Baby Boomers,” Health Serv. Res., vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 849–884, 2002, doi: 10.1034/j.1600-0560.2002.56.x.