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
