Customer analysis

For the “dash button” for elder people

Italy is a country of elder. it’s possible to affirm it thanks to the last report of Istat about the demographic
situation of Italy at 1° January 2016.

On a population of 60.665.551 the index of

elderly people, calculated through the ratio
between the population aged 65 and over
and the population under 14 years of age per
100, is equal to 161,4. This index grows more
and more with the passing of years and is
expected to grow even for the years to come.

Elderly people have more difficulties in

mobility and, in particular, in driving. Medical
science tells us that in elder the reflexes are
loosened and sometimes come to confusion.
So, it becomes very dangerous to let seniors
drive and the probability of car accidents caused by people over 70 increases. However, they really need to
move to do routine activities, like to go shopping, to the doctor, to do specialized medical examination, but
also simply to get to the nearest park for a walk, for example. To do it, they often rely on the shoulders of
their sons. There are a lot of associations dealing with elderly transport, but sometimes they are expensive
and only for specific case, moreover they require to book the service in advance.

In Italy, for those over 65, urban transport envisages, in many administrations, cards that allow you to
benefit from subsidies and discounts, which vary according to income and age. But, there are some
problems linked to public transportation: bus stops and railway stations are not always easy to reach,
limited accessibility of the means, few routes that don’t link very well all the corners of the cities and fixed
times that don’t correspond to the needs of people. All these factors are especially found in the suburbs,
where public transportation is less efficient than in the big cities putting important limits on mobility.

It will not be a case that in the presentation video of Google car it’s seen that older people have been
recruited for the first tests. Google car fits the tastes and needs of senior audience, but there is an obstacle
to overcome: to erase the distrust of innovation from older generations. If millennials are ready to accept
any news in technology field, older people are more skeptical and less willing to give control of their lives to
one or more devices, especially if this is a virtual driver. According to a research made by Harton’s
insurance company, 70% of the older drivers (50-69 years old) are ready to test a self-guided car, but only
31% of them would be willing to buy one if it was at the same price of a usual car, while 39% of them would
still choose a classic vehicle. So, it will take many years before seeing a seventy-year-old man on the road
with a self-guided car.
For carpooling

ACI (Automobile Club d’Italia) collected and provided data about the number of cars possessed by Italians,
that is equal to 610 cars per 1000 inhabitants. Italy is the second country in Europe for the density of cars
circulating and is only surpassed by Luxemburg. In the last years, the number of new registered vehicles has
declined, but it’s important to keep in mind that the territory is already dense and perhaps saturated with
private means: the penetration rate on the Italian private vehicle market is also among the highest in the
world.

But, what are the main reasons for using cars? Mostly for work (65.1%) and this fact is also confirmed by
the analysis made by Istat that shows that private car is the most used means of transport to go to work
and for recurring moves. Only a small percentage uses public transport and the reasons for non-use of
public transport for recurring journeys are different:

 Lack of a direct connection

 Bus stops/railway station away from home or workplace
 Irregular and occasional routes
 Not cheap price
 Poor travel comfort

The massive use of private cars involves several problems, first of all regarding the environmental impact.
To date, much of the efforts made by automakers and public administrations are mainly oriented to
decrease the emissions. But there are other highly polluting sources associated with vehicles, which are
normally not considered as brake wear and road wear.

Another relevant problem is the number of car accidents caused by distracted driving, too high speed and
alcohol consumption.

Anyway, most of the cars are not in circulation. On average, each car is used for one hour per day. For the
remaining hours, it’s parked in some side street, near the office, in the yard of the company, in the parking
in front of the station. It turns out that now, the problem of cities is no longer due to just city traffic: the
knot to be solved is the management of the cars in park. According to a study, it’s estimated that up to 50%
of traffic congestion is caused by the spinning of the drivers looking for cheap parking. Turning to the
search for a free seat carries more costs for drivers, like fuel and time, but also negative consequences for
cities, such as increased pollution, noise and accidents.

So, what could be done to reduce all the problems listed before? Among the potential initiatives to
facilitate and support travels by public means there is carpooling. The benefits linked to this kind of solution
are different: an economic savings, but also an important reduction in emission of CO2. In Italy, there is an
increasing appreciation for this solution, both for short term daily journeys and for long-distance journeys.
http://luisannabenfatto.blog.ilsole24ore.com/2016/03/08/ecco-la-tecnologia-che-gli-anziani-useranno-
prima-dei-giovani-sorpresa-e-unauto/

http://www.istat.it/it/

http://www.aci.it/

Kodransky M., Hermann G. (2011), Europe's parking U-Turn: from accomodation to regulation, New York