Subtitle: RX8 Owner Gets a Topic Started on Slashdot

http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?.../03/17/1932254

longacre writes "Modern highway planning schemes designed to make roads safer combined with the comfort and safety technology found in the modern automobile may actually be putting us in danger, according to a compelling piece in Popular Mechanics. Citing studies and anecdotal evidence, the article points out that a driver on a narrow mountain road will probably drive as if their life depends on it; but the same driver on an eight-lane freeway with gradual curves and little traffic may be lulled into speeding while chatting on his cellphone. Quoting: 'Modern cars are quiet, powerful and capable of astonishing grip in curves, even on wet pavement. That's swell, of course, until you suddenly lose traction at 75 mph. The sense of confidence bred by all this capability makes us feel safe, which causes us to drive faster than we probably should. We don't want to make cars with poor response, but perhaps we could design cues — steering-wheel vibration devices, as in video games? — that make us feel less safe at speed and encourage more care. ... In college I drove an Austin-Healey 3000 that somehow felt faster at 45 mph than my Mazda RX-8 (or even my Toyota Highlander Hybrid) feels at 75 mph. That was a good thing.'"

Go to website to read the replies.

 

Poor drivers ed encourages dangerous driving.

Advanced safety tech enables it, and then saves your life when you **** up.

 

Heh.. it's not the cars, it's the drivers. You can make the safest car in the world, but put a **** driver in it, and that driver will somehow manage to do something wrong.

"We could make it idiot-proof, but then someone would just come and make a better idiot"

 

want a safer car? fix the nut behind the steering wheel first, hehe

 

I lul'd

 

+1

Cars have become so advanced in all their systems that they are now at the level of racing cars as far as their acceleration, braking, handling and lateral grip.

The standard of training for receiving (note I didn't say EARNING) a driver's licence in North America has not changed since the 1940's.

 

+1 ha