When it comes to bad drivers, senior citizens and teenagers take most of the blame. In 2002, America had 35.6 million people 65 years of age and older. That number is expected to double by 2030 as the baby boomer era comes to an end. This generation expects to keep driving and buying new cars for many more years. Furthermore, car companies such as Ford, General Motors, and Honda are working to keep this influential demographic age group behind the wheel by designing cars that could radically improve safety.
These car companies are conducting studies that mimic the effects of aging, such as stiff joints and poor eyesight, to improve their vehicles for the older generation. They are also designing voice recognition systems to monitor the cars various controls, crash proof sensing systems, downloadable improvements and other digital systems.
All of these studies could greatly improve the safety for the baby boomers. And baby boomers aren’t the only ones that will buy these technologically advance vehicles. Will these advancements be as effective, or rather ineffective, as the seatbelt law? Will technological improvements lead to people feeling safer which in turn lead to more hazardous driving?
3 comments:
Technological advancements in the auto industry most likely will not have a negative effect with respect to car crashes, when you are applying it to senior citizens and their respective driving abilities. Most senior citizens are usually careful behind the wheel. Although, they are known to pull out in front of oncoming traffic at a slower pace, they usually drive more conservatively in all occasions( i.e. the freeway, highway, and city driving) of their time behind the wheel. The car companies are wise to plan ahead and come up with a logical game plan for what is sure to be a very large demographic age group.
Rufio is right, technological advances will happen in the world regardless of demograpic growth rates. However, companies can make it seem that they are doing it with senior citizens in mind. Retirees have less disposable income than those a few decades behind them, but what a powerful source of revenues the baby boomer generation will foster to firms in the future is mind blowing. I read an article the other day that basically said that the ten fastest growing jobs in the future will have to do with taking care of our elderly. Anyway you look at it, I guess it sucks to get old.
I don't know that these efforts will have quite the same effect as seat belts. Seat belts make the driver feel safer by anchoring them. This is a very tangible improvement - I might even hazard that you feel more secure than you actually are. If the new safety features don't do something akin to that, they probably won't suffer (too seriously) from the same problem.
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