By Peter Bohr

Sixty may be the new 50, as baby boomers want to believe. It’s true that each of us ages differently. But sooner or later, time plays its tricks on our bodies, affecting not only our appearance, but also our ability to perform complex tasks such as driving.

By age 40, we begin to lose a little of our mental sharpness. The thought process slows, and it becomes more difficult to juggle several tasks at once. By age 40, night vision and sensitivity to contrasting shades decline. Ninety percent of people over 50 require bifocal glasses.

After age 50, reaction times can slow markedly – that is, our ability to see something, recognize it and take action. By age 60, muscle strength and range of motion decrease by as much as 25 percent, making it more difficult to turn our head to look over a shoulder, for instance. By age 70, many are afflicted with arthritic joints, making movement painful. Other ailments associated with aging – stroke, Parkinson’s, diabetes – can compound the effects of the natural aging process.

With the number of Americans ages 55 to 74 projected to nearly double by 2030, automakers are paying keen attention to the needs of older car buyers. “Age doesn’t necessitate a particular car,” says John Nielson, AAA director of Automotive Repair, Buying Services & Consumer Information. “But buying a car with certain senior-friendly features can help all people continue to enjoy the independence that driving brings.”

To assist older drivers in selecting their next vehicle, AAA, together with the National Older Driver Research and Training Center at University of Florida in Gainesville, identified some 30 features on newer cars that can be particularly helpful to aging drivers.

Among them:

• Active head restraints: This type of restraint moves forward to cushion the head if the car is hit from behind, helping reduce neck injuries.
• Adjustable pedals: With a push of a button, the driver can adjust the accelerator and brake pedals, a feature especially helpful for petite drivers to reach the pedals while ensuring they are a safe distance (about 12 inches) from the airbag mounted in the steering-wheel hub.
• Power-operated seats: These require less strength to adjust. At a minimum, the seats should offer six-way adjustment: forward and backward, up and down, and  seatback forward and backward.
• Large knobs and buttons: Audio and climate controls with large features are easier to see, and thus less distracting.
• Large/wide-angle mirrors: For those who have difficulty turning or twisting to look to the rear when changing lanes or backing up.
• Moderate step-in height: A low-slung sports car may look snazzy, but it requires extra strength and flexibility to get into and out of the vehicle. Likewise, a tall SUV requires extra effort to climb up into a seat.
• Four doors: Though not as sporty, four-door models make entry and exit easier, especially if the car has a rear seat. Two-door cars also have longer, heavier doors, requiring more strength to open and close.
• Keyless entry: Operated by a push-button on the key fob, this feature is good for those with arthritic hands who find it painful to twist a key.
• Keyless ignition: Utilizing a dash-mounted push-button instead of a traditional key, keyless ignition is beneficial to those with stiff or painful fingers.
• Tilt/telescoping steering wheel: The extra adjustments help the driver find a safe distance from the front airbag, as well as a comfortable position that alleviates knee, back, hip, neck or shoulder pain.
• Brake assist: Like the term implies, it helps the driver generate enough force during emergency braking to stop the car in time to prevent a collision.
• Low trunk height: Lower access to a trunk, as well as a wide opening, make it easier to load and unload heavy parcels.
• Anti-lock brakes: ABS prevents the wheels from locking during hard braking, helping the driver retain steering control and eliminating the need to “pump” the brakes, an action that might be challenging for some older drivers.
• Side/side-curtain airbags: Side airbags protect the torso, pelvis and head. Older, frail adults – more prone to death or injury in crashes than younger people – may especially benefit from additional airbags.
• Dual-stage/dual-threshold airbags: The airbag inflation force varies based on driver/passenger weight, distance from airbags and crash severity – important for frail adults who may be injured by airbags that deploy too hard.
• Stability-control: This feature helps prevent loss of control in a turn, especially on slippery roads. It’s particularly beneficial to older drivers with slowed reaction times, because it automatically makes quick corrections to keep the car on course.

When it comes to selecting a new vehicle, knowing the features that are available to assist with physical limitations – for any age – can make for a more enjoyable ride over the long term, says Desiree Lanford, occupational therapist/certified driving rehabilitation specialist at the University of Florida and evaluator in AAA’s senior project.

“A car should fit you like shoes or clothes. It should be comfortable enough that you can ‘wear’ it for extended periods of time. Too often, people pick out a vehicle based on looks or other features and don’t realize until too late that it’s not a good fit for them,” Lanford says.