Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Is an ‘older driver vehicle’ the auto industry’s next big thing? I certainly hope not.

This is a thoughtful article about the impact of physiological ageing on car design.

Although the title suggests a car specifically for older people this is not what the researchers are suggesting - thank heavens.

They correctly predict that the change in car design will be incremental and that most, if not all of the features that improve the driving experience of older people, will be equally useful for the young.

I suspect that there is a considerable wealth of information and thinking about ageing and car design that is not included in this article. Interestingly, there was no mention of the cognitive factors of ageing that we know have a major impact on the way older people drive. Also, no mention of the change in behaviour caused by avoiding driving at night.

Great to see that researchers are taking this subject seriously. Let's hope this is reflected in the attitude of car manufacturers. Dick Stroud

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