Most people — including probably you, the reader — think they are comparatively good drivers. Although that might or might not be true, it is nearly certain that most motorists in Ohio and elsewhere can point to someone they know who is without doubt a comparatively bad driver.
You know the type. Perhaps it’s even a relative. A “bad” driver can be quickly identified through his or her driving behaviors that are dangerous and conducive of car accidents on a number of fronts.
Here’s a potential list. Bad drivers just drive too fast, in all conditions. They tailgate. They lose focus. They are aggressive when they should be restrained, and they are passive when traffic conditions dictate that they act with dispatch and purpose.
Wouldn’t it be great if technology ramped up — right now — to protect us from such drivers, as well as to protect them from themselves?
It has.
In fact, a number of steadily evolving technological advances focus foremost on preventing crashes from occurring at all rather than merely protecting drivers and passengers from accidents. In other words, they are becoming increasingly more proactive and less reactive safety assists.
This blog has noted some of these crash-prevention tools in previous posts. They centrally include things like backup cameras, anti-rollover technology and so-called “crash avoidance systems” that, in a sense, substitute judgment for a driver who is simply not reacting optimally under potentially dangerous circumstances.
That latter tool is showing great promise and is now already in use in some vehicles. As enhancements continue, the technology will be become progressively cheaper and much more broadly employed across the nation’s car and truck passenger fleet.
Source: CBS News, “Car safety features that avoid accidents,” Jerry Edgerton, Oct. 2, 2013