How Come It’s Suddenly Less “Safe” Out There?

Guest Post by Eric Peters

New cars are – supposedly – “safer” than ever. Right? That’s what the government has been telling us.

Each new fatwa – back-up cameras, tire pressure monitors, all those air bags – forced down our throats accompanied by the ululations of the regulatory ayatollahs that they would make cars . . . safer.

But then the news. Motor vehicle fatalities are suddenly going up.

And not just a little bit, either.

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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety (there it is, again!) Administration, motor vehicle fatalities are up by 8 percent – and that’s for 2015, the most recent year for which complete data are available. Preliminary data for 2016 suggest an even sharper spike – possibly into the double digits.

Why?

The Usual Explanations don’t seem to cover it.

“Speeding,” for instance, is hard to blame – although it probably will be. But there’s no evidence that people, in general, are driving any faster now than they were three or four years ago. Speed limits haven’t changed much – on highways or secondary roads – since the late 1990s, when Congress finally repealed the Nixonian 55 MPH National Maximum Speed Limit.

And that was almost 20 years ago.

The “speed kills” crowd warned of a massive uptick in road deaths as a result of repealing the NMSL – but it didn’t happen. Highway fatalities actually declined even as people were allowed to drive faster.

That is, were allowed to drive as fast as they had been driving prior to the repeal.

Arguably, the roads got safer because people could pay more attention to their driving – and to the driving of others – than worrying about radar traps and being ready at any moment to slam on the brakes.

Regardless, the fact remains that repealing the NMSL – and higher posted speed limits on most of the Interstate system – did not result in a fatality uptick. Speed didn’t kill.

So it can’t be that.

How about an increase in VMT? That’s statistics-speak for Vehicle Miles Traveled – a complicated way of saying there are more cars on the road, driving more miles. Well, there probably are more cars on the road right now, today, than there were in say 2013. But not that many more. Not enough to account for the sharpest uptick in motor vehicle fatalities in 50 years.

It’s got to be something else.

But what?

Could it possibly be that government-mandated “safe” cars have become very distracting to drive? That we have passed a kind of idiot-proofing Event Horizon?

Might it be that the spike in motor vehicle fatalities is an unintended consequence of serial efforts to absolve – via technology – the driver of responsibility for paying attention to his driving?

Is it possible that encumbering cars with so much technology meant, ostensibly, to prevent accidents from happening has instead made accidents more rather than less likely – as a result of warning buzzer/light/vibrating steering wheel overload?

That makes sense.

And, it correlates.

The sudden, dramatic uptick in fatalities over the past 2-3 years coincides almost exactly with the filtering into general circulation of what are advertised as being active “safety” technologies. These differ from the ones we’re used to – like anti-lock brakes and traction control and even air bags – which are reactive technologies that step in (or do something, like explode in your face) only when the car is actually crashing or on the cusp of crashing.

The latest active technologies have taken over driving the car. For instance:

Automated active braking stops the car without the driver even touching the pedal; it might as well be a side of beef behind the wheel.

Active cruise control keeps track of the ebb and flow of traffic, slowing the car if the cars ahead slow, then resuming speed when they resume speed. The driver – yawn – doesn’t need to do a thing.

The latest systems can bring the car to a complete stop, then resume the pre-set speed, without the “driver” staring vacantly into space.

Side of beef, again.

Remember when you had to learn how to park curbside? No longer necessary. Just push a button, let the cameras, computer and servos park the car for you.

Cue drooling.

Why do they even bother with driver’s tests anymore?

Lane Departure Warning – because people can’t be expected to keep the car within the painted lines on their own. It assaults the mellowed-out meatsack behind the wheel with a constant barrage of beeps and yellow flashing lights to jar him out of his reverie and let him know – after the fact – that the car is wandering across the double yellow.

Steering Assist, which actively turns the steering wheel without any input from whomever happens to be warming the driver’s seat – and sometimes even fights the “driver” for control of the car’s direction.

Such active technologies have become available or even standard equipment in probably two thirds of all new cars, including mass-market family cars, during the past several years – exactly coinciding with the uptick in road deaths.

Maybe because people are literally asleep behind the wheel? Or at least, being put to sleep by technology?

It’s typical of the disjointed logic of government that, on the one hand, “distracted driving” is a very bad thing (and it is) while on the other hand, the government encourages just that via technologies which are specifically set up to relieve the driver of the chore of paying attention.

And which distract his attention.

A buzzing/vibrating sail fawn is bad; a distraction.

But a buzzing/vibrating steering wheel (many new cars have these – for “safety”) is ok.

Instead of learning to use their mirrors and maintain situational awareness, drivers are increasingly encouraged to rely on little yellow blinking lights built into their outside mirrors.

Of course, correlation isn’t necessarily cause – but it’s an interesting correlation.

We may be very close to a threshold moment. Either cars take over driving completely – and we all become meatsacks, just like the sides of beef along for the ride in a refrigerated truck.

Or maybe we start paying attention to driving again.

 

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Flashman

Texting.

TampaRed
TampaRed

I was about to write the same thing Flash.
Unless he shows that the cars equipped w/all the technology he is harping about are at fault in these accidents,I’ll stick w/texting.

TJF
TJF

Autonomous cars may one day be all there is out on the roads and when that day comes and the technology is sufficiently developed it may make travel safer and more efficient. I am not looking forward to that day because I enjoy driving, but I realize that most people don’t enjoy it, don’t give it the respect it is due, and will be better off when their car takes over for them.

The part that is the most worrisome is this transition period we are going through now, where the cars incrementally get smarter and the drivers incrementally get less skilled and dumber. All these new features encourage people to pay less attention while driving, not more. Things very well may be better when everything is automated than the situation we find our selves in now. I hope that in my lifetime driving a car will not become something that is only allowed off public roads.

Anonymous
Anonymous

It has nothing to do with new auto technology. It’s good, old distracted driving, usually because people are glued to their cellphones.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-traffic-fatalities-up-met-20160823-story.html

ChrisNJ
ChrisNJ

Once again, Eric, you are absolutely correct. Without a doubt, more and more people are relying on the car to tell them if they can do something or not, change lanes or not, etc… I’ve heard with my own ears, people saying “I moved over because the light wasn’t on”.
I don’t even pay attention to the car anymore. I drive three different vehicles and they all ‘chime-in’ differently. Impossible for me to tell what’s what. When my wife’s car ‘chimes-in’ at least 1-2 times a trip, I ask her ‘what the hell was it telling me’, She doesn’t know either. If I can turn it off, I turn it off. Maybe these stupid things actually say what they are doing? somewhere, but I’m a little busy watching the f’ing road and all the idiots that are not.
Please don’t let an idiot kill my wife or kids. The idiots are growing in numbers I’m afraid.
Of course many of the other distractions (text, touchscreen crap) are contributing too.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Without a breakdown of the accident categories of the fatal accidents, be it speed or texting or illegals driving drunk and such, it’s hard to speculate on why we’re seeing the increase.

I suspect phones and other gadgets are involved but that is pure speculation without more detailed accident information.

Iska Waran
Iska Waran

I suspect it’s less about illegals driving drunk than illegals driving short.

Trapped in Portlandia
Trapped in Portlandia

Eric makes an excellent point in this article. As an engineer who actually designs roads and streets I am finding that the safer you make driving the more dangerous it becomes. In other words, if the cars are loaded with safety features and roads are build with huge lanes and no obstructions along the sides, drivers will assume they are safe. They then do stupid stuff like play with their cell phones, eat lunch while driving, or simply daydream.

The best idea I’ve heard for making driving safer is to disable all the safety devices in a car and put a huge metal spike sticking straight out of the steering wheel. Drivers will then pay much more attention to the road and the ones who don’t will be eliminated, making everyones’ travels safer.

Just a thought.

kokoda - the most deplorable
kokoda - the most deplorable

Besides NSA Phones, it is the digital shit where you have to reach, look, and punch repeatedly with your finger (radio, temp, etc.).

Brian Reilly
Brian Reilly

Most automobiles (nearly all) built for the US market since about 2010 are capable of being generally directed and controlled by a party other than the driver. These cars are NOT set up or intended to be 100 % operated by aonther party, but they can be (generally) braked and steered to a spot and turned off. Electric steering and electric servo controlled throttle (especially if combined with a crude situational radar and a rear mounted camera, along with a built in GPS and net connectivity make it possible, and the desire of those people running this nation make it probable, sooner or later, that effective control over travel will be possible.

Look for laws designed to get all cars that lack the equipment that can be controlled (influenced, if you like) remotely off the road. A super-duper cash for clunkers. Another law making it necessary, required to have airbags replaced in cars over, sy, 8 years. THe cost to do this will drive auto scrapping. You can trailer your classic to the show, but you will not get a driving plate for it.

Sound nefarious? Sounds like tinfoil hat BS? Tell me that some day when you are listening to a report and decide that the SHHTF. Go to your nice, new GMC 4X, the one with Onstar. Turn the key, or click the fob. And bupkus. And you paid for it, perhaps even paid a lot ecxtra for it. For safety.

Game, set, match.

Iska Waran
Iska Waran

Michael Hastings. Nuff said.

Suzanna
Suzanna

Iska,
Have you seen his car? Looks like 3 “explosions.”
He “hit” a palm tree, which was undamaged.
Thanks, Nuff said.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Micheal+Hastings+crash+video&view=detail&mid=732B754DA9CCD1A2C599732B754DA9CCD1A2C599&FORM=VIRE

Anonymous
Anonymous

I believe highway patrol has the ability to shut down cars based upon information I’ve read about “tactical interventions” they’ve made here (OK). Still rather on the down low, but some stories in the paper appear to leave that as the only viable alternative to explain what was reported.

Rise Up

Dealers often install a GPS kill switch on cars sold with high-balance loans, in order to repossess them easily.

Peaceout
Peaceout

We were car shopping this past fall and found that cars and suv’s loaded with all the bells and whistles were incredibly annoying. We were constantly taking our eyes off the road to try and figure out what each audible alarm was for or why lights were flashing on the dash. After a few miles of all those distractions we decided not to include any of the ‘safety’ packages.

Every time a car would come next to you on the freeway the lights would flash, every time you would change lanes the lane sensor alarm would go off. It sucks. The only ‘safety’ device we really found useful were the blind spot cameras. Eric makes some good points.

Mike Fuller
Mike Fuller

Texting, texting and texting, followed by ubiquitous smart phone distractus interruptus, pardon my Latin, in addition to all the article’s main points.

I cannot overemphasize the singular greatest distraction of “just glancing at a text”. At 80 mph.

To paraphrase our well-loved President: sad.

starfcker
starfcker

Hey Eric, I saw an article last night, CAFE is about to bite the dust. I’ll see if I can find it and link it

starfcker
starfcker
harry p.
harry p.

That would be excellent news.

I’m sure the tree-hugging ecoterrorists will start their hissy-fits.

harry p.
harry p.

The “smarter” the cars get the stupider the drivers get.
It’s a zero sum game.

Think about old cars, no power steering, no hydraulically assisted clutches etc. It likely weeded out stupid weak people. It kept the game limited to the truly skilled.

My mom got mad at me years ago, she is terrible at parallel parking (and driving in general in my opinion). She talked about how it took her a few times to get license bc they “stupidly” required a person to be able to parallel park which is unnecessary for most people. She didnt like my reply that its a litmus test, if you cant parallel park you shouldnt be driving, you dont have the spacial awareness and skills to drive well.
She wasnt afan of my thoughts.

Look at the movie Wall-e, thats the future…

Dutchman
Dutchman

I drive about 50 miles a day, in city, freeway traffic.

Daily, people drift within inches of my lane – scares the shit out of you. Also they weave left to right within their lane. When it comes to slight curves, many don’t follow the road, they cut the curve off into the other lane.

Just horrible.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Texting. etc. and screwed up control panels, etc. that require your full attention to manipulate viz. the old days when we just drove.

Anonymous
Anonymous

The ‘argument’ is frequently made that most accidents are caused by “human error.” Duh. So, when they day comes that humans aren’t to be in control anymore, all accidents will caused by computer error.

Don’t know what your experience has been, but so far I’ve had fewer bluescreen events, freezes, reboots, 404 errors, etc. in my entire 56 years than my computer has every week.

Bob
Bob

Hey Dutch, honk first, and ask questions later. Make sure you have a car with a robust horn, and apply as necessary and appropriate.

Wonder what the whiz-bang technological replacement for the car horn might turn out to be…

Hollywood Rob

This is how we do it in the Bu.

Overthecliff

Cell phones and Asian women drivers.

Realist
Realist

My husband would say most women drivers.

Westcoaster
Westcoaster

What I’m seeing is the auto industry killing it’s own brand…the privately-owned automobile.
If you remove the thrill of driving from the equation, then you might as well take a bus or train. It’s a helluva lot cheaper.

KaD
KaD
Gloriously Deplorable Paul
Gloriously Deplorable Paul

That’s just awesome.
Dumbass charges into the place waving the gun as an advertisement for what he’s doing. Doesn’t bother to assess the situation first.
Dirtbag ate it big time. I love it. One less useless eater sucking up tax dollars in prison.

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