The Tech That Could Help Seniors Drive Longer
In the News
The Tech That Could Help Seniors Drive Longer
Not only are we all getting older, but a larger percentage of the U.S. population is crossing demographic benchmarks. In 2018, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said there were 45 million licensed drivers aged 65 or over, a 60% increase from the year 2000. In 2030, the youngest Baby Boomer will be older than 65. Based on birth and death rates, come 2034, the U.S. Census Bureau says those 77 million Baby Boomers "are projected to outnumber kids for the first time in U.S. history."
As age and infirmity shrink their usable worlds, senior drivers—those 65 and over—don't want to give up their car keys, the last and literal keys to independence. Yet automakers and tech companies pumping R&D budgets into more advance car-centric technologies won't make the coming years easier for the aged. Even admitting that senior drivers aren't given the credit they deserve for navigating an increasingly tech-saturated world, it's obvious that advanced age, advanced tech, and driving make a tough equation.
Global innovation consultancy EPAM Continuum is working on solution called Silverkey. You've probably never heard of the company, but you have heard of its work. It developed the Swiffer for P&G, and Reebok's Pump shoes. EPAM Continuum also helped Audi roll out a car-sharing program in San Francisco that's headed for a European rollout.
