Old People Shouldn’t Drive

If you’ve ever been stuck on the freeway going 40mph in the right hand lane behind a blue-haired driver with their left blinker on, you’ve realized that older people can’t operate a car as well as others. According to a US Government Accountability Office study on Older Driver Safety:

Although the aging process affects people at different rates and in different ways, functional declines associated with aging can affect driving ability. For example, vision declines may reduce the ability to see other vehicles, traffic signals, signs, lane markings, and pedestrians; cognitive declines may reduce the ability to recognize traffic conditions, remember destinations, and make appropriate decisions in operating the vehicle; and physical declines may reduce the ability to perform movements required to control the vehicle.

Thankfully, help is on the way. Researchers at The AgeLab are building a souped-up Volvo XC90 with cameras and infrared sensors. Wired.com describes some of the benefits this “Aware Car” will provide:

The guys are AgeLab have outfitted the car with cameras and infrared sensors that observe a driver’s eyes and eyelid movements. Start nodding off? The car will tell you to pull over and get some rest. Sensors in the center console monitor heart rate, blood pressure and respiration. Blood-sugar dips? The car will tell you to get a bite to eat. Still more sensors keep tabs on the car’s speed and trajectory. A hard drive in the trunk collects and analyzes the data. The idea is to build a car that learns the drivers’ habits, then reacts appropriately when the driver alters them.

Unfortunately this technology will not be on the market for another 25 years, but be sure to read the full article entitled “‘Aware Car’ Knows When You’re Too Old to Drive — and Tells You” to discover why we’ll be needing this technology in 20 years, and why the government is particularly interested in this project.