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How safe is too safe? NHTSA may impose more safety features

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by BetterThanEver, Jul 5, 2009.

  1. BetterThanEver

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    This is awful. It's going to jack up the price new cars even more. Automatic braking systems is a crazy idea. What if the sensor goes bad or debris flies into the car and it brakes in the middle of the freeway?

    http://detnews.com/article/20090702.../AUTO01/NHTSA+may+impose+more+safety+features

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    NHTSA may impose more safety features
    Officials considering whether the cost of requiring the advanced systems is justifiable

    David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau

    Washington -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will decide whether to require two advanced safety features in new cars: systems that warn drivers when they are leaving a lane, and automatically brake ahead of an impending crash.

    Safety experts say both systems show significant promise to sharply reduce the more than 40,000 yearly traffic fatalities and 2.5 million injuries in vehicle crashes.

    In a report released Wednesday, NHTSA said it "will decide whether to require automatic crash-imminent braking ... (and) automatic lane-keeping" in 2011. It also sought public comment on its plans.

    "These are two very promising technologies, but whether or not you can justify through cost-benefit analysis, requiring them remains to be seen," said Rae Tyson, a spokesman for NHTSA.

    NHTSA already has developed a performance test for frontal-crash and lane-departure warning systems that it plans to make a part of its revamped New Car Assessment Program starting in the 2011 model year.

    Forward-collision warning systems alert drivers, using radar, that they are quickly approaching a car or an object; in some cases, they automatically apply the brakes. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says the systems could help in the 2.3 million annual frontal crashes that result in 7,200 deaths -- or more than one in every six road fatalities.

    Institute President Adrian Lund said the agency hopes to be able to say by the end of the year whether insurance data support requiring the technologies.

    Lane-departure warning systems alert drivers who may be dozing off or distracted that they are leaving their lane. In some cases, the vehicle automatically shifts the car back into the lane, unless the driver overrides it.

    The insurance institute said lane-departure systems could impact 483,000 crashes per year, keeping many of those vehicles on the roads -- like a virtual rumble strip. About 10,000 highway deaths occur annually when vehicles leave the roadway.

    Both of those systems are on a number of luxury and higher-end vehicles. Because of the expense, however, automakers haven't added the technologies to most vehicles.

    NHTSA also is considering requiring new safety features on motorcycles, which accounted for a growing percentage of road deaths.

    The agency plans to decide by next year whether to require anti-lock brakes on motorcycles, Tyson said.

    An insurance institute study showed that the rate of fatal crashes was 28 percent lower for motorcycles equipped with optional anti-lock brakes than for those same motorcycles without them.

    Motorcycle deaths have more than doubled since 1997, from 2,116 to 5,154 in 2007. The motorcycle fatality rate has also nearly doubled from 21 per million miles traveled in 1997 to 39 in 2007. Injuries also have doubled.

    The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group representing Detroit's Big Three, Toyota Motor Corp., Daimler AG and six other automakers, said it was studying the report.

    "We're committed to ever safer vehicles and believe a priority plan is a part of how we make progress toward national goals," alliance spokesman Wade Newton said.
     
  2. dmc89

    dmc89 Member

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    As somewhat of a "purist" for driving, I'm against these increasing safety features. No doubt these make cars safer, but I wonder if the same results can be duplicated with an educated-drivers culture/population à la Europe (esp. Germany) and still maintain driver autonomy over the car?

    Manufacturers should not need to increase costs or consumers needn't pay extra because legislators don't have the guts to go after the stupid drivers and their dangerous habits. Also, there should be an easy switch to turn the features off.

    My brother's car has the lane departure warning system.. useless and expensive option imo (only works on nice and smooth roads with clean lane markers). If you take breaks every 100 miles/2hrs, drive with plenty of sleep, and pay attention to the road then you shouldn't need a computer telling you what to do.

    If you need to be helped so much that you need an automatic headlight option, automatic braking option, automatic wiper option... automatic driving option??

    It's too incredibly easy getting a license in the US. Make it tougher/expensive and you'll have fewer and better drivers: drivers who don't need these excessive features.
     
  3. Major

    Major Member

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    Several high-end cars (Lexus, I think?) already have the automatic braking - we haven't had issues with cars braking in middle of the highway as far as I know. That said, I'd be curious to see the impact of those systems in the cars out there and if they've reduced crash damage.

    This is no different than requiring airbags. At first, they were optional and expensive, became popular, got cheaper, and then were required. I'd guess we're talking 5+ years away still, so the technology will probably be relatively cheap and widely available by then.
     
  4. Rashmon

    Rashmon Member

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    Do away with those seat belts, airbags, anti-lock brakes, and side impact protection while you're at it and let's let natural selection do it's job unhindered.

    Just keep the A/C.
     
  5. Bandwagoner

    Bandwagoner Member

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    would be more in favor of punishing idiots who get in wrecks. That might do better to keep them off the road also helping the environment.

    tax the crap out of them to keep a license. Not a traffic ticket but a state tax based upon wrecks.
     
  6. Refman

    Refman Member

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    I would be very interested in knowing how the auto braking systems have performed and their effectiveness at avoiding collisions.

    The concern that I have is that it is a mechanical devise, and as such it can and will malfunction. When a devise of this type malfunctions, the result has a good chance of being lethal.

    Need more data.
     
  7. BetterThanEver

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    I wonder how it would work against people. If somebody can jump in front of your car to make you stop in a lonely road, then car jack you. I would rather brake on my own, swerve and keep driving.
     
  8. BetterThanEver

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    On 2nd thought, a car jacker might just throw a traffic cone into your path to make your car stop.
     
  9. Major

    Major Member

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    There are plenty of cars on the road with this technology out there now. Have you heard of any kind of increase in car jackings to Volvos?
     
  10. Bandwagoner

    Bandwagoner Member

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    I don't buy the car jacking argument but there would have to be a huge % of them out there to make your argument.
     
  11. Refman

    Refman Member

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    What percentage of vehicles on the road have this technology? If it is required on all vehicles and all vehicles then have it, it becomes well known to car jackers and figuring out ways to trigger the mechanism become more profitable.
     
  12. FranchiseBlade

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    But it seems like police could also trigger it to prevent get aways, or high speed chases.
     
  13. Refman

    Refman Member

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    Yeah...by stopping in front of the vehicle. That would be the same way that a would be carjacker could stop the car. It cuts both ways.
     
  14. Major

    Major Member

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    Not sure the %. But cars in the US go through ridiculous amounts of testing before you can put a technology like this in place. I'm pretty positive it's smart enough not to accidentally activate as that would be a safety hazard in itself. And all it does is apply some pressure to the brakes to reduce the impact of an imminent crash. It's not like it shuts down the whole car and makes you stop.
     
  15. JuanValdez

    JuanValdez Member

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    I don't think we've reached the "too safe" level yet, given how many road fatalities we still have. Maybe these technologies will help, but they don't seem promising to me. Tools that take away driver control don't seem like a good idea. But, maybe they are.
     

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