A couple of years ago I noticed an ad for a Volvo that depicted a couple wanting to get somewhere before it closed. The jerk driving the car is not paying attention and just weaving through traffic, a lot like VB. Anyways long story short, his car tells him when he is about to rear end someone because he is driving too fast and not paying attention. He avoids the accident and they get their hotdogs in time. That is worth risking the lives of people who didn't get to choose whether you got a drivers license or not!
Well this seems to be a trend now and even Ford has sensors all over their cars to remind you that you are driving a few ton piece of metal down a road full of people at probably around 60 MPH! Oh, don't forget the cars that brake for you so as not to interrupt your text or shuffling through your playlist to find that sweet new driving song. Someone I work with told me when she is in her $60k Benz the wake up assistance always goes off when she is texting. This is due to the detection of swerving!
This is no new thing. There has been talk of cars that drive themselves for decades. Ever since autopilot the industry has been figuring out ways to remove the driver from the equation. Human error leads in car accidents, even if it was a mechanical failure it was probably due to poor maintenance practices. The busier our lives get the more we try and make up time in transit. But you wouldn't want the bus driver to be texting his girlfriend and eating a donut while you were on board. What makes this same person feel they have adequate training to drive and do these things without causing a wreck. Notice I did not call it an accident beacause it is NOT! Accidents just happen and could not have been avoided.
I feel that driving is a privilege and an experience but adding electronics to counter act the electronics we use to distract us is never good. There have been several advances in vehicle safety where electronicly controlled is the way to go such as ABS (anti-lock brakes), traction control, anti roll midigation, etc. Even a novice driver has a better chance at avoiding or at least reducing damage of a crash with these items in place. This beats the good old days of locking the brakes up and sliding 500 feet and hoping you could maneuver well enough to go around whatever you were about to hit without rolling over. I have driven both new and old. For driving experience I enjoy the old, for transporting my loved ones or commuting to work with all the distracted drivers I prefer as much safety as I can get.
I know we all make mistakes, I have made more than a few. I really try and pay attention to driving and driving alone. Driving is the most dangerous thing we do unless you swim with sharks in fish underwear. So why do so many take it lightly, at least til it's too late? I witness the same people speed past my daughter and I every morning at the bus stop. My little girl told me of how a driver tried to go around the bus stop sign and her friends mom yelled at the driver. Too bad there isn't a braking system to stop cars when that stop sign comes out. I know you say "how could they not see it or just disobey it" but what is the difference between that stop or the one that we all roll through every day? We think its clear from our precise judgment? Fact is, the quick look doesn't always see. People respond to consequences just like children. If you drive to work running lights, speeding, etc. You will most likely do it until you get a good ticket or are in a crash. I am guilty of some of these violations as well. I say we need to get up a little earlier and drop some extracurricular stuff so we don't have to rush so much.
As far as the car electronics go I say more power to them! People are going to not pay attention and drive like jerks anyway so maybe these nuances will give me a fighting chance. If they aren't going to see my daughter crossing the road maybe their sensor will and stop the vehicle in time. Although this is still dependent on the electronic sensor telling the computer which tells the brake controller which applies the brakes which slow the rotation of the tires which contact the ground.
Lets just hope the maintenance was preformed on this vehicle!
Good luck out there, a lot of airbags wouldn't be a bad idea either!
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