A QUARTER of elderly people feel socially isolated - because they don’t drive.
A poll of 1,000 adults aged 70 and over also found 53 per cent of those who are still driving fear the day they’ll no longer be able to take to the road by themselves.
Almost two thirds (63 per cent) are desperate not to rely on others to help them get about.
And such concerns are particularly prevalent in rural areas, with 36 per cent of those residing in the country who don’t drive admitting they feel cut-off socially – because they can’t drive.
In comparison, just nine per cent of non-drivers who live in cities feel the same way.
The research was commissioned by Nissan, which found exactly a fifth of older people would take a ride in a safe self-driving car if it helped them maintain their independence.
And 93-year-old Brad Ashton has been given the chance to experience this automotive technology with a test drive in one of their autonomous vehicles around the village of Cranfield in Bedfordshire.
Brad, a retired comedy script writer, having written for the likes of Groucho Marx, Tommy Cooper and Les Dawson, has been married to his wife Valerie since 1961.
Grandad-of-five Brad has been driving since 1947, and now drives a Nissan Micra which he uses every day to pop to a bakery in Cockfosters, a short drive from his Enfield home, and which he relies upon to look after Valerie, as her primary carer.
Talking about the experience, which saw Brad strap himself in for an exclusive 30 minute spin in the autonomous LEAF model through some narrow country lanes, said: “New technology like this is fantastic and it’s important to embrace it.
“Cars were different back in 1947 – you had to crank them up – so I’ve always wondered what the cars of the future would be like – and this is it.
“I was very proud to be the first older person to try this car out.
“It was exciting travelling on these winding country roads with the team - I thought I would feel frightened or worried but felt safe and relaxed throughout the experience.
“Being independent and still being able to drive is really important to me – my car is vital as my local bus service is quite poor, and my wife can’t get on a bus.
“People like me that depend on a car, or that can’t drive, will benefit from this tech one day to help them stay in touch with friends and family and keep them from feeling isolated, particularly in rural areas where there are fewer transport options like taxis.
“One thing though – it’d be great if the driverless cars of the future could find you a parking space.”
The study also showed 11 per cent of those polled via said they were excited at the thought of one day having self-driving cars in the UK.
When asked how they’d feel if they got the chance to have a ride in a self-driving car themselves, 64 per cent would be nervous, 24 per cent would be intrigued and 12 per cent amazed.
It also emerged four in 10 elderly people are embracing technology to beat loneliness and reach out to friends on social media.
As many as 42 per cent are relying on social media to connect with friends and family – although 21 per cent would far rather catch up in person if they could.
With 63 per cent using Facebook and 11 per cent having reconnected with old school friends on the platform.
And a fifth of older people are using Instagram to catch up with what their grandchildren are getting up to, while 12 per cent also using ‘X’ - formerly Twitter - to connect.
More than half (57 per cent) also feel confident using apps like Zoom or FaceTime to call their friends and family members.
However, 35 per cent want to learn more about technology to stay connected - and the same number are fascinated by stories of future technology.
While 64 per cent would like the inventions of the future to help people stay independent in later life – such as AI powered medical diagnoses, wearable health gadgets to monitor health and driverless cars.
The demonstration is part of an eight year long research project called evolvAD which saw more than 16,000 autonomous miles driven across the country's motorways, urban centres, residential streets and countryside, with zero accidents.
David Moss, senior vice president of research and development at Nissan, which led the project with four industry partners, said: "Our research shows many elderly people feel socially isolated because they don’t drive – and older drivers worry about losing their independence if they can no longer take to the wheel themselves.
“As well as making driving safer by reducing human error, and cleaner by improving efficiency, this technology will give many more people access to mobility who may not have it due to location, age or disability.
“It has been a privilege working with our dedicated partners to advance autonomous driving mobility.
“Our talented UK team at Nissan Technical Centre Europe in Cranfield will continue developing this technology, and we're excited to bring autonomous driver services to customers in the coming years."
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