What will aging seniors need  and want the most in future cars?

Here is our  list of  the  5  most important improvements we believe  cars of the future should have in order to make driving safer and easier for older people.

1. Better vision

We need to be able to see all around the car, back and front.  The cars should have cameras as well as  night vision equipment which can help older people who can’t see well at night. Windshields should also  be glare-proof.  

2. Adjustable seats that can be controlled by a remote control key chain.

One of the biggest problems for older people is getting in and out of cars.  By being able to lift the seats up to  chair level, the older senior can get into the car much  easier.   This should be done by remote control  while the senior is walking to the car.  Later  the seat can be  readjusted for driving.  As it is now, seats are mainly adjusted for driving only.

3. Self Parking

Lexus is already on the ball with this, but their expensive cars are  nowhere near taking care of this need.  Cars need to be able to get in and out of parking spaces on their own.  The older person should not have to look, worry or maneuver the vehicle in any way.  If the car starts out of a parking space and there is another object or car behind it, it should immediately stop without the driver having to take over the controls.  This will take care of a lot of parking lot fender benders and make parking much easier with older people who may  have stiff necks. 

4. Customized Cabins

Okay, all the car  companies are currently catering to young families.  But wouldn’t it make more sense for older people to drive more vans if the vans were built with seniors in mind?  For instance, wheelchair access ought to be an option without spending a lot of  extra money.  Who cares about child seats? What about the older people who want to take their friends out?  How  comfortable are those captain chairs if you’re in your 70′s or 80′s?

And where are you going to put your things? Not under the floor in those hidden compartments, I hope.

Also, why do car companies assume senior citizens want to watch their grandchildren’s DVD’s?  How about making cars wireless and pumping in news, and stock market reports  instead of Disney and the Veggie Tales?   

5. Fun Cars  We Want to Drive

Yes, seniors like cars too.  Just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean you can’t have a car that’s  both easy to drive and entertaining.  Why not more cars like the retro HHR?  We want cars that remind us of our past as well as the future.  Where’s the imagination?  And last but not least, we want more color.  Why do all the cars have to be silver, white, black, white and red? There are other colors.  And why can’t the colors blend into different shades to give a more interesting effect? 

Of course,  it goes without saying we need cars that fit our budgets and get very good gas mileage. 

Not only do we  believe it’s possible, we  think any car company that doesn’t start  designing cars with senior citizens in mind will be missing  windfall profits as the populations of many industrial countries continue to age.

Come to think of it these are ideas that would make driving easier for motorists of all ages.  

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