Autopilot features for elderly
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Anonymous
| I watched a video about the Lincoln Navigator and it occurred to me that this would be a way to help people stay independent who aren't as sharp as they used to be - mild cognitive decline. The number of people in this camp will only grow as Baby Boomers age. Are there any options on the market now that could act as a fail-safe? Thinking about my mother, who is ok now but I can see mild cognitive decline. |
Anonymous
| Nope, absolutely not. The "autopilot" features that are available today require drivers to still be in control of the car, detect hazards, and take over steering when the system fails. They can actually be MORE dangerous for someone in cognitive decline than not having those features. |
Anonymous
| Many of those “safety” features are distracting as hell, and go off at the worst possible time, when the driver needs to be paying attention to the road, not a light, a buzzer or some vibrating device under the seat. |
Anonymous
| There are no fail safes. |
Anonymous
| Nope. Too many elderly causing accidents. I was shocked when my elderly dad got his drivers license renewed for another 10 years in his 70's. He did stop driving on his own though. |
Anonymous
|
Automated assistance features are not intended to, and do not, function to replace the judgment and reactions of a fully aware and capable driver. They are instead meant to relieve driver fatigue in certain traffic conditions, and to provide warning of distracted or imprudent driving, e.g., lane keeping alerts. In some cases they can compensate for momentary inattention, e.g., emergency automated braking, but in no case should be seen as replacements for adequate situational awareness, good reflexes, or sufficient physical function such as applying needed brake pressure, turning one's head to check blind spots, etc.
Cognitive decline may well lead to getting lost while driving, to an inability to properly control the vehicle, to react to emergencies or unexpected situations, to problems refueling and maintaining it, to parking, and to remembering where it is parked. If you suspect cognitive decline, periodic testing by a neurologist is indicated; he/she should be asked directly whether the patient should still be driving. Understandably, people are reluctant to give up driving, but even modest amounts of physical and/or cognitive impairment can lead to serious, crippling injuries or to the death of themselves or others. |
Anonymous
|
Probably not the ones in her lifetime, OP.
But maybe the ones in yours! Remember that AI is being brought in for this. Self-driving is set to become a lot safer in the coming years, but the products available today are not it. One of my children has disabilities and is not a safe driver. I think he will be able to have a self-driving vehicle that's safe for himself and others in a few decades. |
Anonymous
|
No, absolutely not. Frankly, the autopilot feature is the reason that Tesla drivers are replacing BMW drivers as the worst of the worst.
If you're driving in as dense an area as the DC area is, you need your full wits about you, paying attention at all time, and going with the flow as things change. If an elderly person is declining in their cognitive ability on the road, it's time to take away their keys. Auto is NOT the solution. |
Anonymous
| It's called Uber |
Anonymous
100% this. Don't let the machines take over. In fact, I'd like to see a roll back in allowable technology. No more automatic transmissions would be a great start. Make people learn to drive the right way and pay attention while doing it. |
Anonymous
Bring back manual spark advance. |
Anonymous
Do you drive a standard shift? |