Evaluation of transportation alternatives for aging population in the era of self-driving vehicles

Objective Access to transportation is very important for older adults as it allows them to lead an independent and social life. With a growing elderly population, providing access to transportation is one of the greatest societal challenges in the United States. A feasible solution to this problem is adoption of self-driving vehicles in order to provide safe, convenient, and affordable transportation services to older adults. This study analyzed older adults' acceptance of three transportation alternatives that utilize self-driving vehicles. In addition, older adults' travel behavior and transportation needs were also assessed. Methods An online survey approach was adopted to collect data on older adults' travel behavior, transportation needs, and to evaluate three transportation alternatives. The three self-driving transportation alternatives presented were owning a self-driving vehicle, using prepaid taxi services , and getting rides through community services . A total of 173 survey responses were collected from participants aged 60 years or older. Results Participants (80% or more) responded that they are satisfied with the number of trips they make to stores, medical centers, and to religious and social events. On the other hand, more than one-third of the participants would make more trips than they currently do to visit family and friends and to recreational places if rides were available. Among the three alternatives, prepaid taxi services received the best overall ratings. A majority of the participants also responded that owning a self-driving vehicle was not affordable to them. Conclusions This study provides valuable information that could be used to design future transportation services for the elderly population. Older adults are willing to adopt self-driving vehicles as a mode of transportation. However, automakers and federal authorities need to make efforts to inform older adults about the benefits of these vehicles, and their safety features.