It is an early evening in November, only the dipped headlights of passing cars light up the darkness and Mr. Müller, aged 78, is driving home on a familiar country road. He knows the route inside out, having driven it countless times. But today, due to a moment of inattention, he misses a stop sign at an intersection. Fortunately, the car approaching with right of way is equipped with a modern emergency brake assist system and is able to prevent a collision.

These and similar scenarios occur regularly and are likely to become even more common in the future as the population in many highly developed countries ages and the proportion of senior citizens grows. In Germany, for example, more and more baby boomers (born between 1957 and 1965) will reach the statutory retirement age in the coming years. According to statistical forecasts, the proportion of the population aged 65 and over in Germany will rise from 22 percent in 2022 to 28 percent by 2050. At the same time, a growing number of seniors are mobile and do not want to lose the independence that driving offers them. However, as people advance in age, their ability to drive diminishes: reaction times become slower, eyesight deteriorates and memory is not always as sharp. These factors make older road users particularly vulnerable – and also a growing safety risk. According to the German Federal Statistical Office, around 37 percent of road fatalities in Germany in 2022 were over the age of 65, despite this age group accounting for only around 22 percent of the total population. In addition, statistics show that serious accidents in particular are more likely to be caused by older drivers. 

In light of the demographic trends, the EU Commission proposed in 2023 that driving license holders over the age of 70 should have to either submit a self-assessment on their fitness to drive or undergo medical checks every five years to confirm they are fit enough to drive. However, the EU member states were unable to agree on a uniform regulation. In February 2024, a majority of them opted against mandatory EU-wide health checks. Each member state can therefore continue to decide for itself whether to introduce medical examinations for older drivers or not. The German government rejects mandatory testing, even though almost two thirds of drivers in Germany consider regular health checks on driving fitness to be useful – according to the findings of a representative survey of around 2,000 German citizens commissioned by Continental in March 2024.

Advanced driver assistance systems are less controversial than mandatory health checks and are gaining in significance across national borders as the common denominator for enhanced road safety. Since the beginning of July 2024, some of them have been mandatory for new cars in the EU, including emergency brake, speed and lane departure warning systems as well as drowsiness warning systems, emergency brake lights and reversing assistants. These intelligent helpers are no longer merely convenient extras – they can literally save lives. They help prevent dangerous traffic situations before they even arise and compensate for human shortcomings that increase with age. Importantly, they also counteract causes which, according to the Federal Statistical Office, often lead to accidents among seniors at the wheel – such as driver error when turning, reversing, starting, stopping or maintaining distance, as well as poor visibility during nighttime driving.

Another important finding of the Continental survey is that modern assistance systems increase drivers’ sense of safety at the wheel. Across all age groups, the reversing camera was valued most highly by respondents, followed by turn assist and emergency brake assist systems, cruise control, parking assist, lane departure warning and intelligent headlamp control. What is striking here is that drivers of newer cars (built between 2021 and 2024) in Germany are more likely to regard advanced driver assistance systems as a helpful aid for driving safety than drivers of older cars (built in 2020 or before). This indicates that the more they are used, the more they are appreciated. The results of the survey show that advanced driver assistance systems support drivers on the road, thus living up to their name. Above all, their acceptance is increasing as they become more readily available in vehicles – and will only continue to do so in the future. 

The safety of all road users is Continental’s top priority in the development and use of new technologies. Against the backdrop of demographic changes, the experts at Continental recognize a need to combine personal mobility with a high standard of safety into old age. Advanced driver assistance systems play an increasingly important role here.

Driver assistance systems rely on sensors, software and smart connectivity. Continental has many years of experience with these key components of modern assistance systems and has put millions of these technologies on the road. In 2023 alone, Continental produced more than 39 million cameras and radar and LiDAR sensors for assisted and automated driving functions. Continental also remains committed to technological advancements in order to develop solutions for increasingly safe, smart and sustainable mobility.