A Car for All - or Mobility for All? Part I - 11 February 2006

In the uiGarden we seldom have article on car design. This article was first published in 1997, but even today we can still learn a lot from this article. This is part I.

Read this article in Chinese (Translated by Christina Li, Proof read by Sean Liu)
translated with permission from the author

A lecture given at the ‘Car Design for All’ Conference by:
Roger Coleman, DesignAge, and Dale Harrow, Transportation Design.
Royal College of Art, London SW7 2EU
Institute of Mechanical Engineers – London 3/12/97
© IMechE & the authors

Abstract

Population ageing and environmental concern are two important factors that will effect the design of vehicles in the future. In response to the potential conflict between them, the authors propose a shift in focus from individual vehicles to transport services, from ‘A Car for All’ to ‘Mobility for All’, and offer strategies, scenarios and case studies of how this might be achieved. New service and vehicle typologies are introduced and discussed, and an area of future research and development is identified.

Keywords-Transportation, Mobility, Service Design, Vehicle Design, Ageing, Disability.

Background

The world is growing older. Europe, Japan, North America and other developed countries demonstrate this population ageing in its most extreme form, and there is compelling evidence of the same process taking place in less developed areas. This is a radical and unprecedented change in the age structure of modern societies that we are only beginning to come to terms with. It will change our perception of what disability is and who is disabled. Peter Laslett of Trinity College Cambridge has set out the background to this in his book ‘A Fresh Map of Life: the Emergence of the Third Age’. He identifies this ‘secular shift in ageing’ as beginning in the UK some 150 years ago, and suggests that within 50 years it will be substantially complete with half the adult population aged 50 or over, and with considerable increases in the number of people aged 65+ and in particular those aged 80+.

Population ageing is closely associated with industrial development (although that is not the only driving factor) and has been accompanied by the development of the motor car. Driving is almost universal in the UK, as is car ownership, and increasingly seen as a necessity and a basic right. The average age of a new car buyer is now about 45 and, with a large growth in the 65+ population, accessibility will be an increasingly important factor in purchasing decisions of which vehicle manufacturers should take note. Social realities are also changing. We no longer live in large family units, many older people live alone and public transport is not readily available in country areas. People therefore increasingly depend on cars for essential and social journeys. The growth in the number of older people brings with it a change in the nature and prevalence of impairments, especially reduced mobility (c. ten times as common in Europe as wheelchair usage), which make people even more dependent. At the same time there are more people with reduced vision or hearing, who find driving increasingly difficult, and who present a potential danger on the roads.

Argument

Perhaps the most important desire of older people is to retain their independence for as long as possible, and independence and car ownership are closely linked. Mobility is a key factor in life-quality, in the sense of being able to make the many different types of journey that are necessary for older people. Meeting friends and visiting relations, shopping, recreational and educational activities, are all essential parts of an active life, and visits to doctors and hospital are likely to increase with age.

So, the number of older drivers is likely to rise, with vehicle accessibility just one of a whole range of needs. But, with the likelihood of measures to reduce the environmental impact of traffic and the possibility of regular driving tests for safety reasons, there is a potential mismatch between the mobility needs of an ageing population and environmental, amenity and safety considerations. This could mean large numbers of older people being denied the use of their own cars. The knock-on effect would be a rise in dependency, particularly in rural areas, and therefore in consequential costs to the state, and the price of health-care insurance. From the perspective of car design alone this seems an intractable problem, and is therefore more likely to be ignored than addressed. However, if we take a step back from the car and think instead about people’s mobility needs and how to satisfy them the problem becomes more manageable.

Clearly, if we hope to reduce pollution and increase the amenity and safety of our cities and countryside we need a better integrated transport system, a mix of public and private vehicles and services, that offers people choices and alternatives to car ownership. And we need technological developments and design improvements that make cars easier to use and safer to drive. With an increasing number of older people, it is important that their present and future mobility needs are met at the same time.

Strategies for mobility

In light of this the authors offer two strategies for improving access, not just to individual vehicles, but to mobility itself. In developing these ideas, staff, students and researchers at the Royal College of Art have utilised a range of techniques and methods including: gathering design-relevant information on demographics, ergonomics, gerontology, the sociology of ageing, and other subjects which now constitutes a special collection at the RCA which is accessible via the Internet; expert seminars on aspects of design including vehicle design; internal discussions and brainstorming sessions; extensive contacts with the vehicle design and manufacturing community; and regular design forums with members of the University of the Third Age (U3A). These varied approaches have made it possible to develop both an overview of the impact of population ageing on transportation, and to home in on specific concepts and design elements that could fit within the picture described below. In particular, the relationship with U3A-a dynamic, self-help organisation with 70,000+ members all over 55, in over 200 centres around the country-has made it possible to explore the daily lives of people who, although not typical of the older population as a whole, give some insight into the likely behaviour patterns of older people in the future.

The first strategy is to take the needs and aspirations of older users as a starting point for design innovations and improvements that can benefit a wider range of users.

The second is to think in terms of new services and vehicle typologies that can fit into a vision of personal mobility in the future.

Older users – needs and aspirations

Taking the needs and aspirations of older users as a starting point-some key issues have emerged from these studies and are summarised below.

Access and comfort

Easy access bat-wing mini-car

This is a high priority for older drivers and a special need of wheelchair users and other people whose impairments make conventional driving difficult or impossible. Some general points are given that could extend the appeal of cars by offering benefits to people of all abilities.

• Ergonomic considerations should extend beyond the conventional 5-95 percentiles.
• High seats, vertical adjustments, lumbar support should be the norm.
• Entry and egress factors should be given higher priority.
• Doors should allow easy access in densely parked zones.
• Seat belts and other restraints should be easier to operate, less restrictive and compatible with adapted controls, etc.
• Optimum air quality is desirable, as is the reduction of noise and vibration.
• The needs of comfort should be balanced with alertness.

Security

Personal security is very important, and can be expressed in terms of:

• Occupant protection from non-vehicular influences.
• Automatic alarm transmission.
• Communication to home, AA, Police etc.
• Actual and felt security whilst in motion.
• Actual and felt security whilst parked or away from the vehicle.
• The security of luggage and other belongings can be considered in terms of: Invisible and safe storage. Easy loading and unloading, with minimised bending.
• The security in the vehicle itself can be addressed through: Immobilisation. Alarm systems. Visible security. Dead locks. Laminated glass. Reinforced panels.

Information

Information is of vital importance to older drivers who may take appreciably longer to absorb it. This can be facilitated in various ways.

• Maintaining vision ahead, through head up displays, etc.
• Enhancing the relationship with other vehicles and road users, through intelligent signage and inter-vehicle communication.
• Hierarchy of information. As too much information can confuse, what is preferable is a constant dialogue between driver and information systems, whereby only information appropriate to the situation is presented.
• Instruments & controls should be easy to recognise and operate under pressure.
• Personalised displays/controls-adjustable for colour, size, intensity, volume, night driving, etc.
• Location & destination, information about nearest fuel, communications, etc.
• Traffic Information, weather, parking, events etc.

Maintenance

Maintenance includes a number of factors, both mechanical and cosmetic, including:

• Garage maintenance.
• Simpler self maintenance, oil & water.
• Parts cheaply replaced or upgraded.
• Upgrade facility.
• Car as consumer durable.
• Auto jacking.
• Easy to clean.
• Dirt resistant fabric, easily removed covers.

Refuelling

The petrol station is a particularly unfriendly environment for older and disabled drivers, especially at night. Attention should be given to the following:

• Personal assistance.
• Communication from the car to sales assistants.
• Automated refuelling.
• Reducing odour and spillage.

Versatility

Another important issue is the ways in which cars will be used in the future and the activities they will have to facilitate, for example:

• Vehicle as a social space-driving features very high on the list of leisure pursuits of people aged 60+.
• Relationship to new technology.
• Ease of parking.
• Recyclability.
• Resale value.
• Not stereotyped in any ageist way.

Emotive

People relate very strongly to their cars, and emotional aspects are an important factor in purchasing decisions. For older people, these positive/negative comparisons emerge as significant and may be useful to designers, manufacturers and advertising companies:

Background research

From this investigation a number of research areas emerge which would assist designers in better addressing the needs of older drivers and give a clearer understanding of factors that are likely to be important in ensuring that people can enjoy safe driving for as long as possible.

• What effect of many years driving experience may have on demands on the vehicle.
• Journey type, length, purpose. What do people use their cars for?
• Perception of danger & reactions under stress.
• Glare from night driving.
• Re-training.
• Driver warning, speed etc.
• Driver fatigue.
• Impact of road pricing, especially on the perceived cost-benefit of transport.
• Personal expenditure on mobility as a whole.

Continue reading the second part

Dale Harrow is a graduate of Coventry University and is a well-known automotive and industrial designer. He has been active as a design consultant and has collaborated with many automotive and design companies including Seymour Powell, Pentagram, Yamaha, Honda, Sony and Tefal. The Norton Sportsbike won Designweek “Design of the year 1989” and in 1999 the London Taxi designed in collaboration with Pentagram was selected as a “Millennium Product.”

Dale is committed to design education and has been at the Royal College of Art since 1999. He became Head of the Vehicle Design Department in 1999. He has also taught at Cardiff University and has acted as External Examiner to a number of industrial design and vehicle design degree courses including Sheffield, Huddersfield, and Northampton Universities. Currently he is lead examiner at Central St Martins’ post-graduate Industrial Design course.

Dale’s approach to teaching reflects his belief that the discipline is complex and moving forward and new designers have to be better informed to meet future challenges. He is keen to explore the changing city, technology and new commercial opportunities to develop new design solutions within an established design culture.

Dale is keen to raise the intellectual debate about vehicle design and has lectured internationally on the subject including the RSA. He has led workshops at the Design Museum and has also acted as a judge at international events and competitions. He is frequently interviewed by the media and regularly acts as a commentator.

He is currently researching the origins and history of automotive design.

Roger Coleman is Professor of Inclusive Design and Co-Director of the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre at the the Royal College of Art, and an internationally renowned authority on the design effects of ageing populations. The HHRC builds on the DesignAge programme, which Coleman has directed since 1991. In 1994 he established a European network specialising in design and ageing, and in 1995 the RCA was awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in recognition of his work.

Roger Coleman was the recipient of a Ron Mace Universal Design Award in 2000, and a Sir Misha Black Award for Innovation in Design Education in 2001. His policy paper ‘Living Longer: the new context for design’ (Design Council 2001), which makes recommendations to government and industry on design responses to population ageing, is one of several key publications. He also advises major companies on the implementation of inclusive design at a strategic level.

Trained in fine art, design history and philosophy at Edinburgh University and Edinburgh College of Art, Roger Coleman was closely involved in the establishment of the Greater London Council’s Technology Networks in the 1980s and ran his own r&d consultancy, London Innovation. He has lectured extensively in the UK and overseas, and his writings on art, craft and design have been widely translated into other languages, including Japanese and Hebrew.

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