Living and Driving Safety
Overview
I researched Autonomous Vehicles(AVs) for Toyota Motors North America with a team at Aperio Insights
Our team was focused on finding a way to promote independence, safe driving habits, and prevent transit problems specifically for the experiences of elder drivers.
My Role
Team Lead and
UX Researcher
Partners
Aperio Insights and
Toyota Motors North America
Topic
Design Foresight, Experience Design, and Auto Technology
Design research on driving safety technologies and autonomous vehicle adoption for elder drivers — promoting independence while preventing transit problems.
The Challenge
65% of people
killed in traffic crashes in 2021 were drivers aged 65+
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
2021 Publication
By 2060
the estimated ADRD / Grey Zone population will double…
Matthews, K. A., Wu, X, et al., Jan. 2019
What does ADRD mean?
"Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias - a group of conditions that cause memory loss, impaired thought processes, and cognitive decline."
— Mayo Clinic, 2026
What is the Grey Zone
of aging?
"...the place between being competent and being incompetent for making decisions... part of cognitive decline."
— Forbes, Sept. 2012
We needed to test if consumers aged 65+ were open to an AV driving assistance product in their daily lives
Despite additional driving concerns we assumed older drivers may struggle with adopting new technologies due to uncertainty to with trust — especially when capturing personal data about daily driving habits.
Process
The project was broken down to a four step process
Research Goals
Screening & Questions
Synthesis
Results
Research
We used regulations and publications referenced across the world to gauge user comfort with AV adoption
The 30 drivers were self-selected into research after passing demographic screening to participate and share experiences and feelings with autonomous technology, consistent data collection, personal driving habits, and more.
Guiding Question: What did the organization want at the end of this project?
Tech Tailoring Strategy
A Gauge on Public Trust
with AVs
Demographic Sentiments
on AVs
User interviews included two prongs from our research and client interviews to benchmark success and guide the next steps in their next steps in overall strategy.
Previous Organization Knowledge
Capabilities of proprietary technologies and at-scale manufacturing
Market segmentation and innovation documentation
Previous technology adoption history
Existing Works
Academia, industry publications, govt. information, and more
NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
Research Goals:
Driving Concept Exploration
Strategic Delivery Options
Research Ethics:
Grounding the participants perspectives explaining the Five Autonomy Levels involved explaining the implications of potential driving restrictions, AV data collection, and more
Synthesis
Research insights surfaced two common themes among elders after +15 hours of research
I interviewed 3 of the 30 people who were 65+ and used Remesh.ai to understand how seemingly "carefree" driving habits would be effected with autonomous driving technologies.
Privacy First
"I don't like the cameras... I feel like I'm being watched... if 'big brother' was there with me."
— Anonymous Participant 2Prospects expressed that tracking habits — not the person — in a non-judgmental, unobtrusive way is ideal.
Stay Active
"I think if I had this as an option earlier in life I would have taken it... anything to stay active with my family."
— Anonymous Participant 9Prospects expressed that the opportunity to drive freely while engaging in safer behaviors is indispensable.
Final Document Outcomes
Our research partners and client were able to gather insights and next steps from the following artifacts of our research.
Demographic and Regional Insights
Public Trust Insights
Technology Delivery Strategy
Design
Abstract user insights gave the opportunity to frame two new services under existing customer experiences
Two preliminary story boards were presented to leadership before shipping out a final report with a completed story board conveying user insights with more actualized examples that used the dealership support for AV services
Your Own Vehicle
Retrofitted technologies, safety upgrades, and routine software upgrades to enhance driver safety
Manufactured Standardizations
Maintenance and Safety
Consistent Vehicle Reminders
Automotive Functions
Driving Simulator
A participant-focused assessment on real-life road safety and driving habits as drivers progress in new stages of life.
Routine Maintenance
Driving Habit Health
Specialized Driving Insights
Our final story board displayed potential examples that used the dealership support for AV services
Results
Our finalized report included transcripts, story boards, and strategic implementation guides
Normalization of a new AV service experience — how could enhancing the dealership experience impact the daily lives of drivers via socialization and improvement of new daily driving habits.
Key outcome
“80% of participants were curious about a service installed within vehicles that would nudge them toward better driving habits, via driving alerts or autonomous nudges.”
Client Feedback
"Some may be costly and complicated, but overall very well thought out."
— Aperio Partner
Incentives & Benefits Required
“Self-selected" perks for elder drivers who are opting in to driving assessments and the vehicle improvement process.
Meaning Focused — family-focused discounts or gift cards/vouchers
Wellness Focused — health oriented gift cards or discounts
Automotive Focused — potential discounts on existing/upcoming vehicle revisions
Dealer-supported Rollout
Toyota dealerships must engage elder drivers and their extended families/communities to ensure safety and product sales.
Support - Recommending, and implementing the right technology for each driver
Educate - Explaining/testing new safety tools, benchmarking and showing current driving habits
Test - Exploring and choosing ideal of driving safety levels
Other Projects
Living and Driving Safety for Elders
