Abstract
In the United States, older adults (age 65 and older) rely on private automobiles for transportation. For those who stop driving, access to alternative modes of transportation is important for health, wellbeing, mobility, and independence. This paper explores older adult willingness to use fully autonomous vehicle (FAV) ride sharing and the features or services of FAV ride sharing that would make them willing to take a ride. These data were gathered as part of a larger qualitative research study designed to explore the factors affecting older adult use of ride share services. For the larger study, we conducted 68 telephone interviews with older adults, and 10 in-person focus groups with 56 older adults, including individuals who both used and never used ride share services. We used a convenience sample recruited by study partners, including ride share and transportation services and a recruitment firm. The predominant thematic findings of the qualitative analysis included a desire for a proven safety record in terms of performance and technology, followed by dependability and accuracy of FAV ride sharing. Older adults’ concerns about FAV ride sharing included safety concerns and preferences for social interaction with drivers. Ride share services that use FAVs in the future may need to tailor transportation offerings for older adults to increase their willingness to use FAVS to support their mobility and social needs.
Highlights
Mobility is defined as “the ability to safely and reliably go where you want to go, when you want to go, and how you want to get there” [1]
The present study focused on fully autonomous vehicle (FAV) and used the terms self-driving cars and FAVs synonymously
This paper provides new information regarding the promise of emerging self-driving car technology used by ride share services to serve as an alternative transportation option for older adults
Summary
Mobility is defined as “the ability to safely and reliably go where you want to go, when you want to go, and how you want to get there” [1]. There is a decline in driving as individuals age; data show that the number of daily trips as a driver of a private automobile decreases with age, while the number of daily trips as a passenger in a private automobile increases [2]. Age-related changes in cognitive function, vision, and motor abilities may negatively affect the driving safety of older adults [3]. These types of changes in physical and mental health may contribute to driving cessation [4]. Driving cessation among older adults results in decreased mobility, which has negative effects on social connectedness, general health and wellbeing, and independence, among other impacts [4,5,6]
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