tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239694080870817712.post6345955780418465528..comments2024-03-01T01:07:13.368-07:00Comments on No, but seriously: Safer cars mean worse driversSteven Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856604112181023270noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239694080870817712.post-21054298551010847072013-03-23T02:44:21.895-06:002013-03-23T02:44:21.895-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239694080870817712.post-6953396364834285292013-03-20T07:49:02.008-06:002013-03-20T07:49:02.008-06:00Tom
This is a good point and it alludes to somethi...Tom<br />This is a good point and it alludes to something I think should be addressed as a whole : unskilled drivers. Nothing improves road safety more than driver training. Drivers who understand their vehicles, vehicle dynamics, road types and surfaces and all the other variables, are undoubtedly safer drivers because they typically don't tend to put themselves in a position where they need the car to save them from themselves.<br />This is why I'm a huge fan of motorcycling. On a motorbike you can't text, or use the phone, or watch TV. You have to spend 100% of your concentration on the act of driving. You become aware of changes of road surface and how they affect grip. You become aware of sketchy tyres with bald patches and uneven wear. Worn brakes make themselves known. Changes of temperature and climatic conditions are obvious, and all these figure into the act of riding a motorcycle.<br />When isolated from everything inside a car, separated from the road by electric power steering and brake-by-wire systems, cossetted by climate control systems and heated seats, drivers no longer understand what happens when 2 tons of metal on bald tyres tries to corner on a sketchy road surface. At that point, the car DOES need to save them from themselves.<br />All the money we spend on safety gadgets could, and should be spent on better driver education. Alternatively, change the driving laws so that, in order to obtain a car licence, you must first ride for 12 months without an incident on a motorbike. I guarantee that if that was the case, road accidents would drop to unseen levels.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15322134770888868709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239694080870817712.post-48674615840904752692013-03-20T04:56:52.647-06:002013-03-20T04:56:52.647-06:00An interesting implication of what I've said a...An interesting implication of what I've said above, is that for skilled enthusiastic drivers who will always drive according to the level of grip available, decreasing the level of grip by deliberately fitting inferior tyres may actually confer a safety benefit.<br /><br />What I enjoy about enthusiastic driving is not so much the speed but rather the challenge and feeling of finding the limit of grip available, and cornering, braking, and accelerating at that limit.<br /><br />I have slick tyres fitted to my mountain bike, which I use for both commuting and cross-country riding. I figure leaving the slicks fitted for my cross-country riding not only saves me the time I would otherwise spend changing tyres, it also allows me to experience the thrills of cornering at the limit of grip at a lower and safer speed than would be possible on knobbies.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00921330469329221142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6239694080870817712.post-2073651826046036902013-03-20T04:26:41.979-06:002013-03-20T04:26:41.979-06:00The phenomenon you describe is known as risk compe...The phenomenon you describe is known as risk compensation. Wikipedia has an article that gives many examples and sites many studies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_compensation<br /><br />Tyres are another interesting example. I think the effect of fitting tyres having greater levels of grip will increase or decrease safety levels depending on the type of driver, and on the situation.<br /><br />All drivers will benefit from having grippier tyres if evasive maneuvers are required on a straight section of road, for example if a pedestrian or animal unexpectedly steps in front of a moving car.<br /><br />When cornering however, whether increased levels of grip confer higher safety levels depends on the attitude of the driver.<br /><br />Drivers who are skilled and enthusiastic, when driving on uncongested roads, will tend to corner at a speed determined by the road surface and the characteristics of the vehicle they are driving. They will sense the level of grip available through feedback offered by the motion of the car and by the pedals and steering wheel, and choose a cornering speed that offers a comfortable safety margin. These drivers, when given grippier tyres, will increase their cornering speed, since they can do so while maintaining the same comfortable safety margin. The problem with this approach is that while the risk of crashing may stay constant, the severity of the crash will increase sharply - proportionately to the square of the speed. I think many drivers fail to take this into account and so end up less safe with grippier tyres.<br /><br />Unskilled and unenthusiastic drivers will gain a safety benefit from grippier tyres when cornering, since they lack the skill to determine the level of grip available, and they are not interested in experiencing the thrills of speed. These drivers will tend to drive at the same speed around corners regardless of the road conditions, and regardless of what tyres are fitted. When evasive maneuvers are required, these drivers may be saved by the excess level of grip available that they lacked the skill to detect.<br /><br />The best combination of driver skill level and attitude (safety-wise) is the driver who is skilled but unenthusiastic. By 'unenthusiastic' here I mean the driver does not seek the thrill of speed, so he does not increase his cornering speed to match the increased grip levels of his new tyres.<br /><br />The worst combination is of course the unskilled but enthusiastic driver. This type of driver fits new tyres and drives faster due to faith in the new tyres, but does not know how much faster he can drive because he lacks the skill to sense the actual grip level available.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00921330469329221142noreply@blogger.com