Photo by Bradak.
Decades ago, cars had very few safety features.People driving the earliest models did not have the benefit of rear-view mirrors, electric windshield wipers, seat belts, shatter-proof glass, back-up lights, anti-lock brakes, and air bags.
Driving a car without these standard features seems foolhardy to us today.
I predict that within a decade, it will seem foolhardy to drive a car without some of these emerging new safety technologies:
- Reverse back-up cameras
- Blind-spot warning systems
- Collision avoidance systems
- Lane departure warning systems
- Smart headlights
[Note: The information provided in this post was provided by the Hartford Company. However, all opinions are my own.]
Drivers aged 50 to 69 were given a list of seven safety features they were most likely to adopt. The 302 participants gave these two features the highest rankings:
- Back-up cameras 78%
- Blind-spot warning systems 77%
"Drivers who are experienced with technology in general, trust it, and see themselves as able to learn how to use it are more receptive to adopting vehicle technologies," said Joseph F. Coughlin, Ph.D., Director of the MIT AgeLab. "These tech-savvy drivers feel more positive about vehicle technologies overall and are more likely to recommend that a family member of friend purchase a care with new technologies."
What follows is a video about auto technology and safety for mature drivers. This 4 minute video features Jodi Olshevski, a gerontologist from Hartford, and Joseph F. Coughlin, founder/director of MIT's AgeLab.
To learn more about vehicle safety, take the Hartford Technology Video Quiz.
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Don't Be a Boy Scout: Preserving the Independence of Older Adults