Obaasan-mobile

[Charles]

CBS Video: Japanese Cars for the Elderly
Japan's Automakers are adapting to the requirements of the aging Japanese population, producing cars designed to appeal to elderly drivers.

Warning: Video requires RealPlayer or Windows Media, requires you to sit through a 15 second commercial for WalMart.

[Guile]

Because if you can't make it into a car on your own, it's always a good idea to drive.

[Taro Toporific]

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video ... $@$Elderly

Although this CBS News report is specifically about "Cars for the Elderly", note that cars for the disabled in Japan are ALWAYS advertised with the handicapped person as a passenger and never the driver (hint: cars are used long-distance wheelchairs). The most entertaining manifestation of this enlightened Japanese attitude is the Toyota Japan's TV CM showing Japan's women's wheelchair marathon champ as a passenger in the van she was given for winning so many races for the past five years.

[Charles]

Although this CBS News report is specifically about "Cars for the Elderly", note that cars for the disabled in Japan are ALWAYS advertised with the handicapped person as a passenger and never the driver (hint: cars are used long-distance wheelchairs). The most entertaining manifestation of this enlightened Japanese attitude is the Toyota Japan's TV CM showing Japan's women's wheelchair marathon champ as a passenger in the van she was given for winning so many races for the past five years.

Until you mentioned it, I didn't notice that all the official Car Show demos were for handicapped passengers. As usual, I forgot that Japanese cars are right-hand drive.

I noticed that the CBS report tended to blur the line between cars for disabled drivers and cars for the elderly (passengers OR drivers). In fact, that was the whole point of the story, that being old is just an "infirmity" like other disabilities, and that it is socially responsible to accomodate elderly drivers. Somehow I am not convinced.