Ford Hosts Dialogue in Florida's Capital to Address Roles in Growth of Aging Population

June 27, 2011 - PRLog -- •   The demographics of the nation’s drivers are changing. According to the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, there are currently 4.45 million residents age 60 and older which ranks Florida as first in the nation in the percentage of its citizens who are elders. This percentage is projected to grow by 35% by the year 2030.

•   Ford Motor Company invited Florida’s key transportation, safety and aging organizations to participate in a roundtable discussion in Florida’s capital to highlight statewide initiatives that address the transportation issues of the aging population

•   During Ford’s roundtable event, it was announced that Fonts will be increased by up to 40 percent starting with the Ford Edge and Explorer arriving in dealers next year and rolling out to other vehicles; new fonts stemmed from customer research


TALLAHASSEE, FL., June 27, 2011 – Ford Motor Company hosted a roundtable discussion with Florida’s leading transportation, safety and aging organizations to highlight statewide research and safety initiatives to address the transportation issues of the aging population. Participants included leaders from Ford Motor Company, University of Florida Institute on Aging, Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Florida Highway Patrol and Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Sheryl Connelly, roundtable moderator and manager of Global Trends and Futuring for Ford Motor Company, kicked the conversation off by underscoring the importance of recognizing and responding to the rapid growth of the aging demographic. Through her role at Ford, Connelly is charged with looking outside the automotive industry to understand what is happening in social, technological, economic, environmental and political arenas so that Ford can understand shifts that may influence consumers' values, attitudes and behaviors.
Statewide agencies such as the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) emphasized the importance of addressing the mobility consideration of seniors. The agency realized that only making changes to Florida’s roadway environment was not going to be enough to prepare for the projected changes to our aging population. In response to these findings, FDOT established a statewide aging road user program called “Safe Mobility for Life” and implemented various transportation safety and mobility resources to help meet the transportation needs of Florida’s aging population.
Age-related health and mobility issues can limit the ability to perform daily activities and decrease effective “life space.” Both physical function/mobility and driving are important aspects of remaining in one’s community while growing older. Because Florida is home to the largest proportion of the aging population, the University of Florida Institute on Aging (IOA) and the UF Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC) are committed to addressing the health concerns of this portion of our population. Dr. Susan Nayfield, Chief of the Division of Clinical Research in the Department of Aging and Geriatric Research at the University of Florida College of Medicine and UF Institute on Aging, described the IOA and OAIC as resources that allow researchers to better understand the biological reasons for physical disability in older adults and to develop and test effective prevention and rehabilitation interventions for physical decline in aging.


The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) addressed the issues related to licensing, law enforcement and community awareness among the aging population.  One of FDLE’s main aging population initiatives is to work with their officers to underscore the importance of sensitivity when faced with the issue of an elderly driver who poses a threat to themselves and other motorists. Captain Welch of the Florida Highway Patrol explained how services like the State Silver Alert help those with irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties (e.g. dementia or Alzheimer’s) when they become lost while operating a motor vehicle through launching a standardized and coordinated response.

During the roundtable presentation, John Shutko, Technical Specialist in Human Factors and Ergonomics for Ford Motor Company, announced that Ford will bold and thicken characters on many interior controls across its lineup beginning with the Ford Edge and Ford Explorer next year, making it easier for people of all ages, particularly aging Baby Boomers, to read display fonts.  

Ford’s legibility study used Ford engineers for the younger subjects and local retirees for the older group. The study found that even small changes in the fonts used in interior graphics can make them easier and quicker for drivers of all ages to read and recognize.

For example, here is what the difference will look like on the air-conditioning control of the 2013 Explorer:




Ford’s research engineer Shannon O’Day authored “Legibility: Back to Basics,” a proprietary Ford study that indicates which fonts provide better legibility for drivers of all ages – looking particularly at the needs and limitations of older drivers. Interestingly, younger drivers experienced issues with many of the same fonts, albeit at a much lower rate.

Today, aging consumers are of great interest to companies and organizations including Ford. For the first time, people age 65 and over will outnumber children under the age of 5. It’s a transformation that’s changing the world, along with all kinds of products in it.

Tallahassee Ford dealer Bob Hudson noted purchase decisions among the aging population are largely influenced by available “creature comforts” such as large, easy to read interiors and comfort and ease of vehicle handling. Hudson highlighted how the efforts made by Florida’s key state organizations and Ford Motor Company demonstrate a strong commitment to meet the needs of this rapidly growing demographic.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 166,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

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Ford Motor Company's southeast grassroots team manages the communications for the company in Florida and Georgia. Through events like Driving Skills for Life and regional town hall meetings, our team works to connect local dealers to their communities.