Autonomous Driving Could Give Older Americans Years of Freedom

Nancy and I are both in our 80s, and we have a conversation surprisingly often when we’re riding somewhere in our Teslas.

We look at each other and say, “We probably wouldn’t be driving here without Full Self-Driving.”

That isn’t an advertisement for Tesla. It’s a realization about aging that I think millions of older Americans—and their children—should consider.

The automobile has represented independence to Americans for more than a century. But eventually, almost every driver faces an uncomfortable reality. Our eyesight isn’t quite as good as it once was. Driving at night becomes harder. Heavy traffic becomes more stressful. Reaction times may slow. Navigating an unfamiliar destination while simultaneously watching traffic becomes more difficult.

For many older Americans, the solution has traditionally been brutal in its simplicity: stop driving.

And when an older person gives up driving, he or she often gives up much more than a car.

You lose some independence. You depend on your children, friends, Uber or taxis. A spontaneous trip to Publix becomes something that must be arranged. A doctor’s appointment becomes someone else’s responsibility. Your world can gradually become smaller.

Autonomous-driving technology has the potential to change that.

Nancy and I experience this firsthand.

We can get into our Tesla in our garage and tell it where we want to go—the nearest Walgreens, Publix, a restaurant, a doctor’s office or virtually anywhere else. Tesla’s current system is properly called Full Self-Driving (Supervised) because the driver must remain attentive and responsible. It isn’t a driverless taxi.

But what it can already do is remarkable.

The other night I needed to go to the emergency room. It was dark, and getting to an emergency room quickly on unfamiliar roads would have been considerably more difficult and stressful for us. We got into our Tesla and told it to navigate to the nearest emergency room.

It did.

That experience crystallized something I’ve been thinking about for a long time.

I’ve been a Toyota dealer for more than half a century. I see thousands of customers, including many people my age and older. Occasionally I see an elderly customer drive into our service department and privately think, “That person probably shouldn’t be driving anymore.”

That isn’t an insult. Aging happens to every one of us lucky enough to live long enough.

Some older people are so frightened of losing their independence that they continue driving after their abilities have declined substantially. Some even avoid renewing their driver’s licenses because they’re afraid they won’t pass the test.

Driving without a valid license is obviously not the answer.

But perhaps technology can provide another answer.

Imagine an older driver who can still see adequately, remain attentive, understand traffic and safely assume control when necessary—but who is no longer comfortable making difficult left turns, changing lanes on an interstate, navigating unfamiliar streets or driving at night.

Advanced driver-assistance technology can potentially shoulder much of that workload.

And here’s where I think many people my age are making a mistake.

Older Americans are often among the most suspicious people about electric vehicles and autonomous driving. We grew up turning ignition keys, reading paper maps and controlling every movement of an automobile ourselves. Giving some of that control to a computer feels unnatural.

I understand that.

But we may be the generation with the most to gain from it.

A 30-year-old excellent driver may regard autonomous driving primarily as a convenience. For an 85-year-old, it could eventually mean additional years of mobility and independence.

There is also an important question of relative risk.

People frequently ask me whether autonomous driving is completely safe.

Of course it isn’t.

Neither are human beings.

The meaningful question isn’t whether a computer will ever make a mistake. It is whether, under appropriate circumstances, the combination of an attentive human being and increasingly capable driving technology can be safer than that human being driving entirely alone.

For some older drivers, I believe the answer is already yes.

I’m not suggesting that autonomous technology makes everyone fit to drive. Dementia, serious vision impairment, inability to react appropriately or other conditions can make driving unsafe regardless of the technology in the automobile. Today’s Tesla FSD still requires a licensed, attentive driver capable of taking control.

And nobody should drive without a valid driver’s license.

What I am suggesting is that older Americans shouldn’t automatically dismiss this technology because it’s unfamiliar.

If you’re beginning to feel uncomfortable driving at night, on highways or to unfamiliar places, don’t simply decide that autonomous driving is something invented for your grandchildren.

Try it.

Have an experienced person demonstrate it. Sit in the passenger seat first. Learn what it does well and, equally importantly, what it doesn’t do well. Then decide for yourself.

I don’t know when genuinely driverless personal automobiles will become commonplace. But I know what today’s technology has already done for Nancy and me.

It has expanded the territory in which we feel comfortable traveling.

It has reduced the stress of driving.

And most importantly, it has helped preserve something that becomes increasingly precious as we grow older:

our independence.

Someday autonomous driving may be sold primarily as convenience.

For America’s aging population, I think its greatest contribution may turn out to be something much more important.

It may give us additional years of freedom.

Earl Stewart

What Is It Like to Be a Computer... at a Car Dealership?

A recent New York Times essay asked the question, “What is it like to be a computer?” The author, philosophy professor Barbara Gail Montero, argued that as artificial intelligence grows more sophisticated, it’s forcing us to rethink what “intelligence” and even “consciousness” mean.

I’d take that a step further: it’s also forcing us—human beings—to rethink how we work, learn, and serve one another.

At Earl Stewart Toyota, this isn’t theory. It’s happening every day. AI is reshaping how we operate—from how we analyze service data, to how we price vehicles, communicate with customers, and even measure satisfaction. The technology is evolving so fast that sometimes it feels like our computers are learning quicker than we are.

That’s not easy for everyone to accept. I understand that. Some employees worry that AI might replace parts of their jobs. Some customers wonder if it will replace the human touch. Those are fair concerns—and they deserve honest answers.

Here’s the truth: AI isn’t replacing people. It’s amplifying them.

It’s doing what calculators did for accountants and what hybrid engines did for mechanics—it’s removing drudgery and error so we can focus on judgment, empathy, and trust.

For example, our AI-assisted communication tools help us respond faster to customers, with more accuracy and transparency. Our diagnostic and scheduling systems are learning from every repair order, predicting problems before they occur. And our internal reporting systems now surface insights that used to take entire meetings to uncover.

Yes, it’s an adjustment. But progress always is.

I’ve watched this business evolve from handwritten sales slips and rotary phones to computers that can talk back—and now to systems that can think ahead. Every major improvement, from power steering to hybrid batteries, has met resistance at first. The pattern is always the same: once people see how it makes their work easier and their results better, they wonder how they ever did without it.

What I ask of my team—and our customers—is patience, curiosity, and an open mind.

The same way we learned to trust airbags, adaptive cruise control, and hybrid engines, we’ll learn to trust AI tools when they consistently make our experience safer, fairer, and more efficient.

This transformation isn’t just for the future. It’s for the present.

AI is already helping us serve customers more honestly, more efficiently, and with more insight than ever before. That’s good for our employees, good for our customers, and good for the business we all share pride in.

The philosopher in the Times asked what it’s like to be a computer. I’d flip the question: What’s it like to be human in a world where computers are starting to act a little more human, too?

At my dealership, we’re learning that it’s not about man versus machine—it’s about man and machine working together, both learning, both getting smarter, both serving something bigger: trust.

The Deal We Don’t Talk About

Nobody likes to admit they got taken advantage of.

Not in poker, not in marriage, not in business — and especially not when buying a car.

Every week, I hear from customers who tell me, “I really negotiated hard. They tried to trick me, but I outsmarted them.” What I rarely hear is, “I think I got fooled.”

And yet, (the data from the FTC, from Consumer Reports, from mystery-shopping reports) tell a different story. The majority of car buyers don’t get the deal they think they got. They overpay, buy unnecessary add-ons, or are misled by confusing paperwork. It’s not always intentional deception; sometimes it’s just the culture of the car business — and the silence of embarrassed customers — that allows it to continue.

The Uncomfortable Truth

Seth Godin recently wrote about the power of addressing the “uncomfortable and unspoken.” He used the example of colonoscopies — awkward to talk about, but life-saving. Cultural silence keeps people from doing what’s good for them.

It’s the same with buying a car. Admitting you were misled feels humiliating, so most people avoid it. They tell themselves (and their friends), “I got a great deal!” Everyone nods, egos stay intact, and the industry keeps running on the same old tricks.

The Cultural Cover-Up

Car dealers thrive on this social silence. They count on customers being too embarrassed to admit they were taken. That’s why the worst practices — hidden fees, inflated markups, worthless add-ons — persist. Not because people don’t care, but because they don’t talk.

We could fix a huge portion of the abuse in the car business overnight if more buyers simply told the truth about their experience.

Changing the Culture

Public health campaigns work by breaking silence. When people start talking about things that once made them uncomfortable — whether colonoscopies, mental health, or drunk driving — the culture shifts.

Why can’t we do that with car buying?

Imagine if customers began saying:

“I found hidden fees in my contract.”

“Next time, I’ll demand an out-the-door price.”

“I compared my deal online and realized I overpaid.”

That honesty wouldn’t just help one buyer — it would transform the marketplace.

The Courage to Admit

Admitting you were fooled once doesn’t make you weak. It makes you wise.

The real shame isn’t in being taken advantage of.

The shame is in staying silent — so others can be taken advantage of, too.

If we can talk openly about colonoscopies, we can talk honestly about car buying.

I APOLOGIZE TO TED SMITH

President of the Florida Automobile Dealers Association

Last Friday, Ted Smith and I had a heated phone conversation about a previous column/blog I’d written in which I blamed Ted and the FADA for the fact that Ashley Moody, Florida’s Attorney General had not enforced Florida laws, on the books for over 20 years regulating car dealers.

I learned from my conversation that I was dead wrong, and I’m publicly apologizing to Ted Smith for my blog and my wrongful comments.

Ted Smith and I go way back to the days when I was an active member of the FADA, a director, and on the executive committee. I was on the FADA committee that selected and hired Ted Smith, many years ago. Ted is one of the smartest people I know. He is, by far, the best head of the FADA we’ve ever had.

When Ted and I were working closely together, we unsuccessfully tried to form a Florida Car Dealers’ Ethics Committee that regulates car dealers, like how the Florida Bar Association regulates attorneys. Our stumbling block was that we couldn’t find any car dealers who would agree to join such a committee. The committee would be charged with overseeing the honesty and ethics of Florida car dealers’ advertisements and sales practices. This group of dealers, located strategically around Florida, would warn dealers of violations so they could cease and desist before being punished by regulators.

Had Ted and I been successful, Florida’s car dealers wouldn’t find themselves in the predicament we do today with the Federal Trade Commission’s CARS act, “Combatting Auto Retail Scams” breathing down our necks and the recent letter from AG, Ashley Moody that she will begin enforcing Florida’s 20+ year old statutes regulating car dealers’ bad behavior.

Ted Smith has had active dealings with Ashley Moody and has agreed to assist her with the Florida car dealers’ adherence to honest, transparent, advertising and sales practices. He recently sent out a certified, registered letter to all Florida car dealers (including me) advising us that the old laws would be begun to be enforced by September 1, 2024. He and FADA staff have traveled around the state conducting a series of “road shows” by FADA lawyers so that every dealership can learn all the details and comply with the law. My dealership attended such a meeting last Friday…the last road show.

Ted and I agree that we will see a significant improvement in the honesty and transparency of Florida car dealers after September 1, but not 100%. The biggest improvement will be seen in South Florida dealerships which I refer to as both “the wild-wild West” and “Sodom and Gomorrah”. The dealers in northern Florida are more civilized but will also have to improve their advertising and sales practices.

I liken what we will see as like what Florida drivers see on I-95 or Florida’s Turnpike. Virtually all drivers are exceeding the speed limit. The Florida Highway Patrol troopers hiding along the road with their radar guns will ignore you if you’re going only 9 mph above the legal limit. The higher you get above 9 mph, the more likely you’ll be pulled over and fined. The AG will be targeting lots of South Florida dealers who are exceeding the legal limits by WAY above 9 mph.

Finally, Autonomous Driving is Here

My wife Nancy and I bought our first Tesla over 3 years ago. It’s a top-of-the-line Model S "Plaid" model, and the TSD (Tesla Self-Driving) package option was included. Even though the software for autonomous driving was included, Tesla would not enable it unless the driver demonstrated the ability to drive very safely.

This feature was the primary motivation for our purchase of the Tesla. Ironically, I'm a Toyota dealer in North Palm Beach, and we have always driven vehicles manufactured by Toyota. However, we’re both in our eighties now, and the sad reality that we may not be able to drive safely for much longer weighs heavily on our minds. How wonderful it would be, we thought, to be able to hop into our own car anytime and say, “Take us to Publix, Walgreens, or Taco Bell,” and be driven safely there and back home by an autonomous vehicle!

For over a year, we struggled to score high enough in safe driving to motivate Tesla to activate our (already paid for) autonomous software. Tesla has eight exterior cameras and one interior camera on our Plaid, and they “watch” how the driver operates the vehicle. After every drive, a score is registered. A 100% score was required over 30 days to activate the autonomous feature. Our scores got better, and Tesla lowered the minimum acceptable score. Once TSD was turned on, it could be turned off again for 30 days if you didn’t keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

We were very disappointed in the TSD when it was first activated. It was “flat scary”! There's an intersection we drive in and out of every day when we leave our home that's tricky. The 2-lane road is quite narrow, and there's an S-curve with two stop signs when we leave or enter. The main road we must drive on has another S-curve from the east and a tall bridge to the west. Cars coming over the bridge aren't visible until they come down from the rise of the bridge, and cars from the east aren't visible until they come around the curve. Our Tesla Plaid simply could not "figure out" how to drive out of our neighborhood. The steering wheel would turn wildly left and right, and the brake and accelerator would be applied “wildly.” After this frightening display, the TSD would suddenly disengage.

We gave up on even trying TSD to leave or re-enter our neighborhood and used it only on simple trips. We also experienced difficulty in different areas based on weather, traffic conditions, and the quality of road lines and traffic signals. For a smooth, safe autonomous ride, everything had to be just right for the TSD.

Happily, Tesla was working very hard to improve their TSD, and there were frequent software updates, sometimes weekly or more. At some point, Tesla began using the millions of videos recorded daily by millions of Tesla drivers to program their software. They select videos from only safe drivers, which contrasted with writing the computer code to teach the Tesla how to drive.

After almost every software update, we would try out the TSD, and even though we saw improvements, they were still not "ready for prime time" and still couldn’t safely let us leave or reenter our neighborhood. About a month ago, it happened! It was a quantum leap in improvement! We can now safely leave and enter our neighborhood or drive anywhere we want.

The TSD is still not perfect. Nancy and I do a weekly live radio talk show every Saturday morning, and we must leave for the radio station shortly after 7 AM, just after sunrise. Two Saturdays ago, on the way to the radio station, our Tesla “ran a red light” and almost made a dangerous lane change on I-95. I think what caused this rare but dangerous glitch was the “sun.” It was shortly after 7 AM EST when our Tesla ran the light. The Tesla was headed south, and the sun was at such an angle that it “blinded” the Tesla’s cameras. The second dangerous mistake the TSD made 5 minutes later was also because the sun did not allow the Tesla’s cameras to see.

I paused writing this column to go with Nancy to see her doctor relating to a test. On the way, our Tesla made another dangerous error in making a U-turn on a heavily trafficked road named Military Trail. In all three dangerous TSD incidents I’ve described, the driver (me this morning) was alert and able to avoid an accident. This rule should remain strictly enforced for a long time, even after the TSD is claimed to be “perfected.”

But the good news is, even with these potentially dangerous anomalies in TSD, being driven by an autonomous car is a pleasure. The TSD software has “eight outside eyes” outside the cabin of the Tesla. It sees everything faster than a human driver and it sees 360 degrees simultaneously and instantaneously. It has a ninth camera inside to be sure the passenger in the driver’s seat is alert with hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Think about how many places you have to turn your head to change lanes in heavy traffic on the expressway. Our Tesla gets us there faster and smarter than we do when we’re driving. The Tesla also doesn’t get angry at bad drivers on the road, doesn’t text, or talk on the telephone. It’s a better driver than Nancy or me and it’s getting better faster and faster.