Older Adults’ Attitudes and Opinions about Automated Vehicles: A Literature Review
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Summary
This literature review examines older adults’ attitudes and opinions regarding partial to fully automated vehicles (Levels 3–5 automation). The study was motivated by the widespread media and industry assertion that automated driving technologies will significantly enhance the mobility and independence of older adults. Despite these optimistic projections, the authors sought to determine what older adults themselves actually think about this technology, noting a potential disconnect between external expectations and user acceptance. The authors conducted a systematic review of empirical literature using a three-step search process involving databases such as TRID, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, supplemented by manual reference checks. Eligible studies were required to provide findings specifically for older adults, focus on opinions and attitudes, and address automation levels 3 or higher. The review analyzed findings from ten studies, which utilized various methodologies including national surveys, online polls, structured interviews, and driving simulator experiments across countries such as the US, France, Germany, and the UK. The findings reveal that older adults generally hold a cautious, neutral, or negative view of automated vehicles. The majority of reviewed studies indicate that older adults are reluctant to travel in fully automated vehicles and have little interest in owning or leasing them. Specific data points include a French survey where only 43% of older adults expressed interest in owning an automated vehicle compared to 52% of younger adults, and a US survey where 77% of older drivers reported moderate to high concern about riding in fully automated vehicles. Primary concerns cited include doubts about the technology’s reliability, fear of technical failure, and the discomfort of relinquishing control. While one study found older adults were equally likely to intend to use self-driving cars as younger groups, and another noted increased comfort with automation in simulators, the overarching trend is reluctance. The authors attribute these attitudes largely to a lack of direct experience, as most older adults have never used these technologies in real-world settings and rely on imagination or simulator data, which may not accurately reflect real-world trust. The paper concludes that while automated vehicles may theoretically aid older adult mobility, current attitudes suggest significant barriers to adoption. The authors argue that future research must move beyond surveys and simulators to assess real-world experiences. Furthermore, they highlight that even if Level 5 automation is technically successful, practical implementation for older adults will be hampered by physical and cognitive challenges, including difficulties entering/exiting vehicles, moving between home and vehicle, seating comfort, handling emergencies, and communicating with the vehicle despite sensory or cognitive declines.
Key finding
Older adults report reluctance to travel in fully automated vehicles, have little interest in owning or leasing highly automated vehicles, and hold neutral to negative opinions about the technology due to concerns about reliability and loss of control.
Methodology
review
Provenance
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| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | rosap | — | — | 2 | 2026-05-23 |
| archive | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
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| embed | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-02 |
| enrich | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 3 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 19 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
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- Empirical Findings: self report data