We’re lazy and it’s literally killing us

by | Jan 1, 2017 | 0 comments

In the last few years, vehicle safety technology has taken a massive leap forward where we now have vehicles that are capable of making decisions on our behalf.

That sounds incredible, and it is, but is this new spate of technology advances in motoring causing us to become more complacent on the roads than ever before?

Let’s have a look at a video recently posted on YouTube showing a Tesla predicting an accident up ahead and slowing the vehicle to a stop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TtODhB-008

That really is amazing footage and immediately I feel the need to head out and buy a Tesla (well, as soon as they hit SA shores – near end of 2017) which I am confident will keep me safe on the roads.

But, there’s a massive flaw in how we perceive this technology.

In the video above, yes, the tech stopped the Tesla, but in reality there was plenty of room between the cars for the driver of the Tesla to stop the vehicle themselves without the need for the tech to even kick in.

What is evident though is that the idiot in the red car clearly wasn’t paying any attention to the road in front of them.

This technology was never designed to take over our common sense and natural awareness, it was designed to assist us.

You already need to be a vigilant driver and becoming reliant on the tech is a massive injustice to the humans who built this tech.

The built it to compliment your common driving sense and to assist you in situations that are out of your control.

Even then, you’re not guaranteed of survival.

And heaven forbid that we fully rely on this technology to save us and we get injured when it fails.

What happened to common sense? What happened to driving within the vehicles limits? And the limits of the safety equipment?

Don’t be that dumbass who blames the tech failure for their accident after they’ve pushed the car and the technology beyond its limits.

Stability control isn’t designed for you to drive faster, ABS isn’t designed for you to brake quicker and collision avoidance isn’t designed to stop collisions.

Should you be trying to hit the apex at speed on a public road or brake at the last minute, don’t expect the tech to save you, drive in a manner where you can save you.

All this safety tech is designed to work hand in hand with common sense, while you ensure that you drive the vehicle in a safe and reasonable manner.

Drive your vehicle assuming you don’t have these safety features, they are merely there in case everything you’ve tried has failed and the vehicle will attempt to assist you.

Technology will fail at some stage, it’s inevitable, we all know it, so don’t push it.

Keep it safe on the roads in 2017, don’t be a statistic.

Photo Credit: via Twitter.com from The Legend ‏@MedixGauteng

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