Drivers' aids?

[scumdog]

Our cars are faster, quieter, and handle better than they ever have. Anyone who remembers early Cortinas, Hillmans, Wolsleys etc etc knows that.

So cars are easy to drive fast in comfort. The modern cabin is so insulated that there isn't a real sensation of speed. The consequence is that if things go pear-shaped, drivers are unprepared.

Ideally we'd all have rally-type skills and do refresher courses every 6 months but that's totally unrealistic. So we have to build in safety features.

I don't believe for a moment that this lulls people into complacency. Remove the safety belts, airbags, and traction control and some people would still drive to their personal limits.

The ol' tread-mill:
Cars are not safe so lets make 'em safer, cars are now safe so lets raise the speed-limit,
Cars aren't so safe at the new speed limit so lets make them safer, cars are even safer now so let's raise the speed-limit again....

Poor old Darwin must be fair spinning when he sees how we are stopping effwits from bumping themselves off with all the 'safety' things we have in our lives...

[Dare]

The ol' tread-mill:
Cars are not safe so lets make 'em safer, cars are now safe so lets raise the speed-limit,
Cars aren't so safe at the new speed limit so lets make them safer, cars are even safer now so let's raise the speed-limit again....

Poor old Darwin must be fair spinning when he sees how we are stopping effwits from bumping themselves off with all the 'safety' things we have in our lives...

I think Darwin is probably more preoccupied with the industry that lets people who can't technically have kids do just that. Nature is harsh but I wonder what percentage of the population could not breed/survive without our 'wonderful' advances in medicine? I'm not complaining though this same industry allows me to continue a certain pastime with a lovely feeling that if it all goes wrong I will (probably) wake up in a hospital bed.

http://www.ukmotorists.com/speed_history.asp

On 28 January 1896, Walter Arnold of East Peckham, Kent became the first person in Great Britain to be successfully charged with speeding. Travelling at approximately 8 mph, he had exceeded the 2 mph speed limit for towns. Fined 1 shilling (5p) plus costs, Arnold had been caught by a policeman who had given chase on a bicycle so began one of the most lucrative ways of making money by Local Authorities and the Exchequer

So yes, it would be safe to go to work every day at 2mph, but I imagine it would take a wee while!

Incidentally safety and the feeling of safety are two different things. This is one of the reasons SUV's are so popular.

[tigertim20]

this seems to be rather a chicken and egg conversation: ie, do we drive more loosely because we have these aids, or do the conditions and statistics derived from analysing our driving and the results require that they be developed and utilised?
I think there are alot of people out there who think that some of these driving aids automatically make them peter brock, but having said that, before all of these things came along, how many of you guys have fond memories of drag racing the ol ford, or hammering through the hills in a worked 302 chev, or racing the rx3 coupe......? People have always driven fast. Fuck if it saves my life, or the life of someone I love one day, I am all for these technologies, but I still think that driver training leaves rather alot wanting... abs is gonna do fuckall if you were fiddling with the radio when you killed someones kid who ran out into the street.........
6 of one, and half dozen of the other in my opinion!

[Hitcher]

I thought "driver aids" was what one got from sharing the road with fuckwits.

[Forest]

The term you're looking for is "Risk Homeostasis".

As humans we are all programmed for a certain level of risk. The actual level varies from one individual to another. There is a natural tendancy that the safer life gets the more we look for opportunities to return our lives to our own personal risk level.

Also known as "Risk Compensation".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_compensation

[swbarnett]

Is that actual risk or the sensation of risk? Could we make cars feel more risky than they actually are?

Good point. The human brain would never know the difference.

What proof do you have that you're not just a computer program inside the Matrix?

[CookMySock]

So, in an emergency, where an animule leaps out onto the road in front of you, or a car veers on to your side of the road, you don't think it would be an advantage to be able to brake very hard AND still be able to steer?

I can already brake AND steer under any circumstances. If I fuck up and require all the benefits of the ABS on top of my huge driving experience, then who is the idiot? Certainly not the ABS.

The benefit of ABS as a safety net is very real. I'm glad I have it, but people who drive faster and faster because they can are going to have a problem eventually. I don't think normal people will do this.

Steve

[owner]

Who saw the GTR35 on the targa today?The more gadgets the better I reckon

[gatch]

Thinking about it some more today...

I wonder what the cost would be to install these corrective aids in a newly manufactured car, and would the money be better spent educating the new driver on how to make better decisions on the road ?

[scumdog]

Thinking about it some more today...

I wonder what the cost would be to install these corrective aids in a newly manufactured car, and would the money be better spent educating the new driver on how to make better decisions on the road ?

Now THERE'S a good comment!

Lots of training by a qualified instructor prior to licence being obtained - and a tough test.

And meaningful sentences for life threatening driving offences - and no, I am not refering to speeding.

[MisterD]

I think the best solution all round would be to have mandatory skid-pan experience as part of your driver training. It's kind of a sad fact that you really only find out what it means to reach the limits of you, and your vehicle by overstepping them, so better to do that in a more controlled environment.

In some ways I think these driver aids are a problem because you don't have so many warning signs that the older cars gave that you're pushing the limits...it's more of a digital..ok...ok...ok..oh fuck! kind of thing.

[ynot slow]

The old way of driving 30 yrs ago in underpowered rear wheel drive manual cars helps,the joy of reading in road code steer into the way the wheels face/skidding was good in a paddock.And no power steering usually,maybe disk brakes,made cars fun.

Now power steering,abs,airbags,autos make it easy to fuck up,oh and front drive predominate the roads.

[tigertim20]

Now THERE'S a good comment!

Lots of training by a qualified instructor prior to licence being obtained - and a tough test.

And meaningful sentences for life threatening driving offences - and no, I am not refering to speeding.

Ahhh, if only we could get that through the heads of those fuckin morons in parliament eh?

[Ixion]

Wouldn't it be simpler just to ban cars?

[gatch]

Na its not that simple, its like guns, drugs, smoking in bars etc. What is the root cause of these problems ? People are the problem, so ban people I say, cause they are fuckwits.