Damn humans

By John Blodgett, MacKay & Company

I have discussed new technologies on vehicles in a few of these columns. What I have learned from reading and attending conferences on all these new technologies and products is one of the biggest problems is us.

With all the new products, services and technologies, there are typically unintended consequences. I recently read that people are drinking more when they go out because they know they don’t have to drive home — no more designated driver needed — they can just take Uber or Lyft home. What a party it’s going to be when we all have automated vehicles (AV).

Apparently, AVs are better drivers than humans, and that is a problem.

AVs obey speed limits, stop where they are supposed to, use turn signals all the time (even when no one is looking) and don’t flip us off. This apparently drives us humans mad and causes more accidents because, well, we don’t always follow the rules of the road, especially when no one is looking.

Stability control in vehicles was put in place to make vehicles safer when going through turns. Studies have now shown that drivers with vehicles with stability control are more likely to go over the speed limit through corners than those that don’t. (I’ll see your stability control and raise you 15 mph.)

Backup cameras are common now, but apparently many of us are relying completely on cameras without physically looking to either side of the car for other obstacles like we used to, so things and people are getting hit. Advancements in technologies to sense and identify other obstacles will help, but in the meantime we need to use our peripheral vision.