Post by DontDentMyCar on Apr 4, 2015 9:59:56 GMT -5
Technology and trends are always evolving over time, but what 'new things' do you think are leading us away from being safe and putting us in danger?
Some posts here have inspired this question, so here are a few 'changes' that I believe are putting more people at risk of a collision despite our desire as humans to have/own them.
1) Touch screens rather than buttons. I believe this one came from 1995hoo who mentioned it. In todays vehicles one has to take their eye off the road to physically look at a screen in order to see what 'button' they're pushing, whereas in the past one could feel the buttons, much like TV remotes still do today (if you can't relate, the TV remote allows you to remember by touch where certain buttons are).
2) High Beams button used to be on the floor and pushed by the left foot, instead of being on an extension of the steering column which often gets the user 'mixed up' with other functions of the device… push/pull, turn this way, turn that way, etc.
On the same topic, my high beam indicator is located in a different position than the normal beams, and the running lights indicator is the same at the normal beams… all create distraction while trying to interpret what is functioning and what is turned off. A simpler 'end user' design would combine these indicators into one design of 'low, medium and high' icons that could readily be understood and thus not cause a distraction.
3) Larger vehicle designs that block the view of vehicles beyond. We judge our speed often by the speed of others, and if following someone that's driving a full-sized SUV our view of traffic ahead can be blocked, preventing us from being able to predict when to slow down in advance. The popularity of SUV's and large pickup trucks that often are not for their functioning purpose (on a farm, use in construction, for constant cross-country use or for other heavy lifting) puts on our roads more large vehicles that simply limit the visibility of other users, creating frontal blind spots. In addition to this trend, is the use of heavily tinted windows, or rear windows that are smallish in size, a result of style and privacy.
4) Mega-wide roads: This civil engineering design trend is fast ending because of the high cost in pedestrian lives. Having a pedestrian try to cross 8 lanes that are typically on a road which posts faster speeds is a recipe for disaster.
Can you think of others technology changes or trends that have negative safety ramifications?
Some posts here have inspired this question, so here are a few 'changes' that I believe are putting more people at risk of a collision despite our desire as humans to have/own them.
1) Touch screens rather than buttons. I believe this one came from 1995hoo who mentioned it. In todays vehicles one has to take their eye off the road to physically look at a screen in order to see what 'button' they're pushing, whereas in the past one could feel the buttons, much like TV remotes still do today (if you can't relate, the TV remote allows you to remember by touch where certain buttons are).
2) High Beams button used to be on the floor and pushed by the left foot, instead of being on an extension of the steering column which often gets the user 'mixed up' with other functions of the device… push/pull, turn this way, turn that way, etc.
On the same topic, my high beam indicator is located in a different position than the normal beams, and the running lights indicator is the same at the normal beams… all create distraction while trying to interpret what is functioning and what is turned off. A simpler 'end user' design would combine these indicators into one design of 'low, medium and high' icons that could readily be understood and thus not cause a distraction.
3) Larger vehicle designs that block the view of vehicles beyond. We judge our speed often by the speed of others, and if following someone that's driving a full-sized SUV our view of traffic ahead can be blocked, preventing us from being able to predict when to slow down in advance. The popularity of SUV's and large pickup trucks that often are not for their functioning purpose (on a farm, use in construction, for constant cross-country use or for other heavy lifting) puts on our roads more large vehicles that simply limit the visibility of other users, creating frontal blind spots. In addition to this trend, is the use of heavily tinted windows, or rear windows that are smallish in size, a result of style and privacy.
4) Mega-wide roads: This civil engineering design trend is fast ending because of the high cost in pedestrian lives. Having a pedestrian try to cross 8 lanes that are typically on a road which posts faster speeds is a recipe for disaster.
Can you think of others technology changes or trends that have negative safety ramifications?