According to the National Older Driver Research and Training Center, by the year 2024 one in four drivers will be over the age of 65. With this influx of elderly drivers comes a range of ailments -- from arthritis to paralysis -- that makes driving more difficult. Oftentimes, the person is cognitively able to safely drive, but has some physical limitations.

Auto manufacturers have responded to this need, with a wide range of auto mobility products. They range from simple tools to boost a small elderly person up in the seat of the car or make it easier for those with arthritis to steer or brake, to complex systems that make entrance and exit from the vehicle less cumbersome, and ingenious solutions for loading and storing equipment such as scooters or wheelchairs.

Here in the United States there aren’t nearly as many of these products as in countries such as Japan, where there is a greater proportion of elderly people than anywhere else in the world, says Bob Swaim, National Program Manager, Toyota Automobility. “But with an aging boomer market, there will be an increasing need for these products.” In fact, says Swaim, “With these products going mainstream, you may soon see a Toyota Sienna with a lift up seat displayed in your local dealership showroom.”

Whether driver or passenger, your elderly loved one may benefit from some of these auto mobility products:

• Wheelchair accessible vehicles are designed with features such as wider doors, lowered floors, and ramps or lifts. Some have a mechanism that lowers the rear suspension of the vehicle to decrease the angle of the ramp, or removable driver or passenger seats so that the wheelchair occupant can drive or ride from his chair. Many of these features can be installed on a person’s existing vehicle, too.
• Ramps can be installed into either the side or rear entry of a van or minivan to allow easy ingress and egress from the vehicle.
• Lifts fold out and lower to the ground to hoist a scooter or wheelchair along with its occupant into the van.
• Restraint systems can be installed to restrain the driver or passenger who is riding in a wheelchair rather than in the seat safely.
• Loading devices load a wheelchair or scooter into the car or van, and then deliver the equipment to the trunk, back of the van or even into an exterior carrier on top of the car for stowage.
• Hand controls can be installed in a car or van for those with lower extremity limitations caused by arthritis, diabetic neuropathies, or stroke.
• Pedal modifications include extensions, left foot accelerators and pedal position relocation.
• Reduced effort steering and braking systems can be installed to minimize the amount of movement or pressure needed to steer or stop the vehicle.
• Panoramic mirrors reduce blind spots for those with limited neck mobility and difficulty looking back over their shoulder.
• Support handles can be inserted on the vehicle door frame on either passenger or driver side to allow safe entrance and exit.
• Turning automotive seating allows a person to enter and exit the vehicle more easily or transfer from a wheelchair into and out of the seat. The seat rotates, comes out of the vehicle, and lowers toward the ground, eliminating the climbing and twisting normally required to enter a higher vehicle. Power transfer seats, which can be installed in either the passenger or driver’s seat position in all types of cars or vans, extend out the door of the vehicle, lower to the ground, and even tilt forward to allow transfer from a wheelchair or walker into the seat. Less expensive is a swivel seat cushion, which is a product that is placed on the existing car seat.