Booming Down The Road

by Mike O'Neill

DEARBORN, Mich., July 15, 2003 (FCN) - Every seven seconds, someone in the U.S. turns 50. Since older drivers face problems resulting from the natural aging process, the rising number of older drivers poses both opportunities and challenges for Ford Motor Company.

Such issues begin at a younger age than many might suspect according to Joseph Coughlin, Ph.D., AgeLab director at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). "By age 40 you actually need 20 times more light to see at night as you did at age 20," he said.

Through an alliance, MIT and Ford Motor Company are jointly investigating issues that impact older drivers and seeking solutions.

Maturing drivers make up the fastest growing segment of the population and buy the majority of the higher profit margin vehicles.

"There is no group as large as the baby boomers," Dr. Couglin points out. The "Y" generation that is coming into the marketplace is about 68 million strong, but census studies show that is about 12 million less than the baby boomer population.

"In addition, the boomers are wedded to the car from birth and, I dare say, will be till death," said Couglin. "One of the biggest challenges is that you can't build an 'old man's car' because that only guarantees that a young man won't buy it, but neither will an old man."
Research at MIT shows many older drivers are self-regulating. They avoid driving at night or in bad weather. They may stay off of freeways or try to avoid making left turns.

"Some recent data suggests at least one third of the accidents older drivers have take place while making left turns. One of the problems they have is judging the gap between oncoming traffic and the speed of the oncoming traffic," Couglin noted.

Self-regulation on the part of drivers means giving up some mobility and limiting their lives.

Ford is a leader in research to respond to those needs. Some of the company's younger engineers are learning firsthand about problems aging drivers can face by donning what are called third age suits, which make it more difficult to move, and wearing glasses or goggles that cloud their vision.

"The boomers want a car that's fun. They want a car that's safe and they're going to continue to have a diverse lifestyle. They're not going to sit at home and play cards and knit and garden," Couglin stated.

Indeed, data show that while many people may take early retirement packages, they don't actually stop working. For example, the older population composes the majority of the volunteer workforce.

"Driving to work is only about 25 percent of the vehicle miles you travel. The other 75 percent is life," said Couglin. "That means the auto industry has to design around those other trips, determine what they're going to be, and package a vehicle that's both safe and fun that they can sell to the younger population, but that the older population will buy as well.

"Some of the work we're doing with Ford involves looking at warning systems. How do older drivers versus younger drivers respond to auditory or visual warning cues when approaching an intersection or in high-speed traffic? The natural aging process is likely to slow your response time. Hearing becomes a problem. 90% of the population over 50 wears bifocals, so that immediately changes your visual issues."

The challenge, according to researchers at both Ford and MIT, is also an opportunity to find technological and service solution that will help boomers continue to enjoy their independence and freedom.

"To use your phrase, that should be job one," said Couglin who believes the car is the glue that links all those little things we call life.