Comments on: Will “Crash-Proof” Cars Make Drivers More Dangerous? http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/10/28/will-%e2%80%9ccrash-proof%e2%80%9d-cars-make-drivers-more-dangerous/ Covering Los Angeles's livable streets movement Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:06:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Todd Edelman http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/10/28/will-%e2%80%9ccrash-proof%e2%80%9d-cars-make-drivers-more-dangerous/comment-page-1/#comment-45281 Todd Edelman Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:58:28 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=17671#comment-45281 "... the aim being to develop cars which just cannot crash...". Uhhh... so if I jump in front of one of these cars I get teleported somewhere? The car does? We both do? Jedi knights intervene? The automobile industry wants us to believe that they are always closer and closer to perfecting their nasty little inherently unsafe products. Also, it seems that this is made to sound very much like a BBC TV news story, and in its embedded form it might be fooling people. The You Tube site makes it clear it's Volvo Cars behind it. “… the aim being to develop cars which just cannot crash…”. Uhhh… so if I jump in front of one of these cars I get teleported somewhere? The car does? We both do? Jedi knights intervene?

The automobile industry wants us to believe that they are always closer and closer to perfecting their nasty little inherently unsafe products.

Also, it seems that this is made to sound very much like a BBC TV news story, and in its embedded form it might be fooling people. The You Tube site makes it clear it’s Volvo Cars behind it.

]]> By: Erik G. http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/10/28/will-%e2%80%9ccrash-proof%e2%80%9d-cars-make-drivers-more-dangerous/comment-page-1/#comment-45131 Erik G. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:37:36 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=17671#comment-45131 According to this article in the Danish Engineering press: http://ing.dk/artikel/103338-selvbremsende-volvo-stopper-ikke-for-loese-hunde The system cannot recognize a loose dog or a shopping cart. I'll see if I can find a citation in the tounge of the Angles. According to this article in the Danish Engineering press:

http://ing.dk/artikel/103338-selvbremsende-volvo-stopper-ikke-for-loese-hunde

The system cannot recognize a loose dog or a shopping cart.

I’ll see if I can find a citation in the tounge of the Angles.

]]> By: DLM http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/10/28/will-%e2%80%9ccrash-proof%e2%80%9d-cars-make-drivers-more-dangerous/comment-page-1/#comment-45101 DLM Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:29:49 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=17671#comment-45101 If it only works during the day, that sounds like it's really ripe to make people used to the warning and then they won't react at night when it's off. I know several people who have backed into poles because they have one car that has a "proximity alert" and one that doesn't. Once you become accustomed to a warning, your brain stops paying attention to the threat all the time. I'm guessing we'll see a drop in daytime fatalities and a surge in nighttime ones. Progress? If it only works during the day, that sounds like it’s really ripe to make people used to the warning and then they won’t react at night when it’s off. I know several people who have backed into poles because they have one car that has a “proximity alert” and one that doesn’t. Once you become accustomed to a warning, your brain stops paying attention to the threat all the time. I’m guessing we’ll see a drop in daytime fatalities and a surge in nighttime ones. Progress?

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