Safety Tech Could Make Drivers...Less Safe?

Could the incredible, high-tech safety systems that manufacturers are now building into their vehicles actually make drivers less safe? An article from Wired's Autopia website questions how the rapid adoption of semiautonomous vehicle safety systems could affect overall motor vehicle safety--and suggests that it may fundamentally affect the kinds of crashes we see and whether active safety systems gain widespread acceptance.

Essentially, the thesis is that the human brain requires a certain level of arousal in order to keep functioning at an optimal level. (We already see this phenomenon with highway hypnosis.) Because semiautonomous safety systems can lull drivers into thinking that they can "zone out" behind the wheel, these systems could actually make drivers less safe in situations in which they encounter hazards the safety systems weren't designed to handle.

The article posits that, while semiautonomous safety systems will reduce certain types of collisions, we may see a rise in other types of collisions as drivers fail to adapt their driving to the needs of the new safety systems. The article also suggests that we may have to abandon the American tradition of driver education only for new drivers and, instead, institute ongoing, lifetime driver training to ensure that motorists are up-to-date with the latest safety technologies.

Check out this interesting read!