I recently started looking for a car after my car was totaled (I'm fine)! The first car that I looked at was an older BMW being sold by an owner just down the street from me. I asked him why he was selling the car (I noticed there were two very new Prius’ in the garage). He said that because he was getting older, he wanted a car with up to date safety features.
This encounter immediately made me think of my Dad, who at age 94, finally stopped driving, but only after the doctor had told him he couldn't. Six months earlier my sister had accompanied my Dad to his doctor's appointment with the goal of getting my Dad to stop driving to no avail. A TIA had to occur first and fortunately my Dad was never in any accidents. My encounter with the gentleman selling the car made me realize how different my aging would be from my father's. Once my father stopped driving he was completely reliant on others (mainly my sister) for groceries and transportation. Our family was lucky in that my Dad was already living in a continuing care community that provided transportation to its residents, but at 94, he was too old to learn the routines associated with their transportation, such as where stores or events were after he was dropped off and where to go to be picked up. I realized that my siblings and I should have worked on my Dad to start to take the community transportation earlier while still driving to learn the routines.
"When I'm 65..." or hopefully much older than that, I don't think I will have the issues that my Dad did. In some respects, I already don't. If I need a ride somewhere, I simply whip out my phone and a Lyft or Uber will be there in minutes to pick me up and take me where I want to go. I don't need cash, I don't need a credit card and in the end the app will even calculate and prompt me to give the driver a tip. Easy, peasy! Think of how that will benefit seniors even today. In the next five to ten years, the seniors who are in between "65" and "much older" may still want their own transportation. They will be able to buy a car that will brake for them if there are obstacles they don't see, or can't react quickly to. Warning signals from the car will also let them know when they are drifting into the next lane. The most appealing of other possible safety enhancements for seniors is the self driving car. Granted some of this automation can cause some issues. A few years ago, when I was on the east coast I rented a fully loaded jeep that included automatic high beams. As I approached the house in the pitch black, I knew there was a stump near where I needed to park so I put my high beams on to locate it. Due to my proximity to the house, the car kept turning my high beams off. So, guess what? I ran over the stump!
Technology will never solve all our issues with respect to our aging. However, in my humble opinion, it will enhance our lives in many ways. So, for those of us willing to embrace these advances, it will improve our quality of life as we age!