I think automatics can be better for elderly drivers, my grandad is 84 and he still drives his Peugeot 406 but it is a manual and I really think he should have bought an automatic, his previous car, a 1985 Audi 100 (still sitting on the driveway) was an automatic, and when I've been in the car with him, I get nervous every time he takes one hand off the wheel to change gear, I don't find his steering very smooth anyway. Of course it's debateable whether people above a certain age should still be allowed to drive, although it depends on the person.