Modern vehicles are engineered with safety features to reduce accidents, but some features take the driver’s attention from the road. Though seat belts and airbags fall under post-collision safety within car accidents, other technology is active prior to a collision and may actually be the cause of a crash.
Creating complacent drivers
The newest vehicles often come with features like lane departure warnings and other crash-avoidance systems. Thanks to these systems, some drivers now use less tact and awareness overall, which could lead to car accidents. Relying heavily on these new safety features gives drivers the option of doing things other than driving. The care that drivers need to operate a vehicle with is at risk if they become complacent behind the wheel. When drivers feel that they have less to do in terms of working for safety and staying aware, they may be more likely to engage in hazardous behavior like using in-vehicle touchscreens or their own mobile device.
Having the feature be the distraction
In many cases, drivers complain about the safety feature itself, suggesting that warning lights and sounds are distracting. A driver who needs to focus on the road could be distracted by new safety technology. The question is if safety tech requires drivers to do more by not only driving safely but also learning what all the warnings mean and how to turn them on and off.
The question of how much of a distraction safety features cause remains under question. With smart technology, electronic power and automation, the scenes of many accidents even have A.I. technologies involved. Learning about how these systems work and where their on and off commands are can help drivers manage the road better.