Just when will autonomous cars go mainstream? While a lot of people don't want to give up driving the cars themselves, companies may get a helping hand from the older demographic.

The elderly are more open to choosing self-driving cars as they provide mobility for those not able to drive anymore. 90 percent of traffic accidents are caused by human error, which is something non-existent in autonomous cars.

Many of these accidents are caused by seniors, according to data from Japan. Of the 4,411 people who died on Japanese roads in 2012, more than half (2,264), were 65 or older.

‘‘Autonomous driving could be very helpful to people who have physical challenges, or the elderly,” said Mitsuhiko Yamashita, executive vice president of Nissan.

Toyota said earlier this month that it would introduce systems in about two years that will allow cars to communicate with each other to avoid crashes. Nissan received a permit to test autonomous cars on Japan’s public roads and plans to introduce a self-driving car by 2020.

Could the older generation be the success of autonomous vehicles?