Volvo knows it can build cars that outsmart their feeble human operators, at least for safety. Yesterday Toyota announced a program that teams Ryuta Kawashima, who helped develop Nintendo's ''Brain Age'' games, with company engineers to develop intelligent cars that will help seniors drive safely.
Such technologies could analyze driving patterns and curb dangerous activities. For example, the system could automatically slow the car if it senses the driver is hitting the gas pedal for no reason. Future developments could involve a car navigation system or temperature control system that helps drivers stay alert.
Impatient for technological advances, many states are taking matters into a legal realm--especially as the population ages. Some states are pushing legislation for drivers over 80 to be tested. This raises a touchy subject. Age itself is rather arbitrary. Various prescribed medicines can impair driving abilities as much as long life history. So can IQ, temprament and predisposition to distraction.
It's no surprise, then, that seniors are beginning to balk. And drivers of any age are showing resistance, if not outright hostility, to invasive technologies in their automobiles. Many sports-car owners can't stand antilock brakes. Still, laws in any state can force you to wear glasses at the wheel. If a driving test after the age of 80 shows that your reflexes have slowed, perhaps a "senior" car might make the roads safer for all of us.
