An estimated 36 million seniors (ages 65 and older) drive in the United States. This number is expected to increase substantially over the next decade.
According to AAA’s Director of Traffic Safety and Advocacy, Jake Nelson states:
“Seniors in the market for a new car may want to consider the potential long-term benefits of choosing a vehicle with advanced safety technologies. Equipping a new car with the right features can help an aging driver remain confident behind the wheel and out of crashes.”
Below are six new technologies that may help protect seniors from getting into a car accident.
- Forward collision warning/mitigation: It has been proven that this form of technology can assist in reducing crashes up to 20 percent and help significantly increase the reaction time for seniors. These systems warn drivers of potential collisions.
- Automatic crash notification: This system will contact emergency services in the event of a crash. Time can be critical in any accident, especially one involving the elderly.
- Park assist with rearview display: This technology includes a backup camera that can assist an individual when backing out of spaces and will make a beeping sound to alert the driver when there’s something in the way. As many as 95% of all seniors say they would like this in their next vehicle and 55% say it can help reduce stress behind the wheel.
- Parking assist with cross-traffic warning: In some of these systems, brakes will come on automatically to prevent a crash. These systems utilize radar sensor technology to notify drivers of crossing vehicles when backing out of a parking space.
- Semi-autonomous parking assistance: This is awesome technology for any age to reduce stress and anxiety. These systems take over steering while moving into a parallel parking space.
- Navigation assistance: This technology helps seniors remain comfortable, more safe, attentive and relaxed behind the wheel and on the road by offering a turn-by-turn GPS navigation system to prevent getting lost.
It’s important to help senior drivers feel as comfortable as possible while driving. It has been proven that once a senior has to give up the freedom of driving, they are two times more likely to suffer from depression and five times more likely to have to enter a long term care facility.