Automotive technology can be applied to help older drivers continue to be mobile and independent.Photo: Silke Wawalies/Getty Images
The current pace of innovation in automotive technology is comparable to that of nearly a century ago, when automobiles were moving from the exotic fringes of transportation into the lives of ordinary people.
Automobiles reshaped the world, bringing new freedoms and greater access to remote areas, creating jobs and wealth, and changing the physical landscape of roads, gas stations, dealerships, and suburbs.
Although automobiles have brought incredible convenience, their proliferation has also led to traffic congestion, highway congestion, pollution, and high-speed crashes. And cars play a huge role in accelerating climate change.
car makeover
Automobile design is undergoing major changes. Cars are transitioning from gasoline-powered internal combustion engines to electric vehicles, which produce far less pollution and noise. Cars are also becoming safer by being equipped with sensors and cameras to help drivers avoid collisions.
Self-driving cars don’t seem too far off, but until then, car design will need to take into account the changing needs of drivers.
For all drivers, but especially older and more experienced drivers, cars that can do more without driver involvement are both an opportunity and a threat. This provides an opportunity to support long-term safe and independent driving as lifespans extend and to meet the social and practical needs of mobility for older people.
The threat is that more self-driving cars could make drivers feel safer and more at ease, making it harder for drivers with health-related changes to understand when to stay on the road. In fact, as technology is added, driving may require more advanced skills.
Safer for older drivers
In my research, I work closely with older drivers, government agencies, and car manufacturers to ensure that cars are as safe as possible.
I discussed these issues when I was invited to speak before Canada’s Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications in 2017. My colleagues and I continue our research in collaboration with older drivers and others, including Transport Canada and the Canadian Automobile Association.
An important goal of my research and teaching is to educate all people, including older adults, that older drivers are a growing but diverse group with a wide range of physical and cognitive abilities, and that they are statistically This is to help people understand that the elderly are less likely to get into accidents. A middle-aged opponent. In other words, age alone does not determine who is safe or unsafe behind the wheel.
Decline in health status
Given the fact that health-related declines and medical changes can occur rapidly and are not always immediately apparent, especially in this upper demographic, we strive to be as humane and responsible as possible. You need to have a plan.
For example, working with an advisory group of people with lived experience of dementia, my colleagues and I created the Driving and Dementia Roadmap. This is a free online resource to help healthcare professionals, caregivers, and individuals living with this disease feel safer on the road.
As cars change, it is important for manufacturers, engineers and regulators to consider how drivers, especially drivers in later life, will respond to and engage with new technology. It’s also important to follow universal design principles to ensure new technology is created with older drivers in mind just like other drivers.
This includes making sure that getting in and out of the car, adjusting your posture on the road, and controlling all of the vehicle’s systems is friendly for all drivers.
Informed and transformed design
My research team is embarking on a project in collaboration with fellow engineers and students at the McMaster Automotive Resource Center, inviting older drivers to volunteer and share their driving-related experiences. Its purpose is to inform the design of the 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ, an electric SUV, as part of the North American Eco Car EV Challenge.
The competition’s mission is not only to create vehicles that are as efficient and environmentally friendly as possible, but also to optimize safety and accessibility for drivers of different ages and abilities.
Packed with safety features and powered without gasoline, modern cars can only be a great success if they are designed for the people who use them. By involving the most experienced older drivers on today’s roads in research and development, we can ensure that the cars of the future are clean, safe, and accessible to everyone.
Brenda Vrklyan, Professor of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University
Scenic drive: from Quebec City to Charlevoix