So, the MT thread has got me thinking about technology, the general driving public, and the art/skill of driving. And I have to ask myself: are we better off with all this technology in cars, or are we starting to lose something in the mix? And please, try to keep in mind, this is regarding the proficiency of all drivers, not just those of us who are enthusiasts and take it as a point of pride.

Some things to ponder:

Transmissions. The enthusiasts love to row through the gearbox, and take pride in mastering such techniques as heel-toe shifting, and left foot braking. Automatics allow the general public to drive in relative ease, using only one foot while not worrying about their right arm to constantly move a shift lever. The AT driver can still operate 90% of cars on the road if need be, while the MT driver should be able to operate close to 100%. Many modern 'sportshift' style AT's will in fact outperform a manual gearbox, delivering quicker, smoother shifts, but require little skill to operate.

Traction and Stability Control. Wow, we never have to worry again about losing grip on wet, snowy roads! But are we better off for it? Put you foot on the gas at a wet intersection, and just go. Traction control keeps your wheels from just spinning on that ice. Overdrive a corner, and no worry's, the stability control keeps the car from washing out. But how many average, non-enthusiasts, would be able to keep the vehicle under control without these technologies? Sometimes they even over-nanny us. Try to get up to speed, merging onto a fast moving highway, in the rain, with the TC on, in my IS-300, and you might get run over. And how many drivers today could competently get a mid-70's, RWD vehicle around in a snowy, icy, north-eastern winter?

Fly-by-wire. Modern electronics are simply amazing. No doubt about it. You press the gas, a chip sends a signal to another one on the throttle-body, and the engine revs smoothly with no drama. We nudge a paddle on the steering column, and our slick little shifter sends a signal to another chip, and the transmission changes gears without us doing anything other than moving a finger. Heck, even our suspensions change with the road surface so the ride stays plush and comfortable (not exactly fly-by-wire, but anyway...). So all our controls are smooth and refined, but also to the point that they become so unobtrusive that we start to lose some feel for what is happening underneath us.


So then here is the question....
Are we really better off for all of this? Yes, cars have become techno-wonders, are more capable than vehicles of the past, and are safer than ever. But are we also, in the process of moving forward, dumbing down the general driving public?

Is it a good or bad thing, that we are taking the driver further and further out of the equation? Now, everyone can drive, but fewer and fewer can actually drive...

Thoughts and opinions?

 

And for the record, I'm all for technology in cars. But I firmly believe that we are dumbing down the general driving public to the point that there are very few car owners who are truly competent drivers.

But I'm interested in all points of view. Pro or con.

 

Technology will aid a good driver to be even better. At the same time, technology will make a lousy driver even worse.

/thread

 

For the general population (read non-ethusiasts), their cars are first and foremost simple transportation: it gets them from point A to point B. To transport people safely is a major concern, and thus technology can assist in helping complete the transport safely.

Does it make a better driver? No. But it makes an uncontrolled scenario (skidding, hydroplaning, collisions, etc) safer and more controlled.

Does it dumb down the general public? No. Every driver on the road has a responsibility to control their car to their own abilities, not an enthusiast's standards. Every driver on the road, novice or expert, has the right to share the road. As long as novice or cautious drivers follow rules of the road (stay right if slow, look before changing lanes, etc) just like how expert drivers follow rules of the road (keep within the speed limit, use their turn signals, etc); all can enjoy the road and their driving experience.


I don't think it's dumb at all to drive within your own skill level. It would be dumb to drive a car to its limits thinking technology will compensate for your lack of skill.

 

Technology can make a skidding/hydroplanning/collision scenario safer for an experienced driver, but it can put an ignorant idiot driver into a situation where he/she is sliding/skidding/hydroplanning out of control and relies on electronics to save their butt. I see it all the time - for instance idiots in AWD SUVs drive on snowy roads just as fast as they do on dry pavement. Had their car not been equipped with AWD, traction control and anti-lock brakes, maybe they would be more careful to begin with.

 

In short, I'm not blaming improving technology for the low driving skill levels so common in the US.

 

I agree, its not really technology's fault, but because most drivers are just simply idiots.

 

And that's why I think it would be dumb to drive a car to its limits thinking technology will compensate for your lack of skill.

 

Och,
You've kinda hit the nail on the head. At least for my point of view.

Technology is great, as a driving aid. But are we (as in the general public) relying on it to drive for us. Most of us over a certain age, learned to drive in cars that had no real electronic aids, so we were forced to understand and control what happens when things go wrong. If not, we ended up in a ditch, or replacing fenders, or what have you.

As new drivers come along, the 5 or 10 year old used cars they are starting off in, already have many of these electronic aids. So they never learn how to control a skid, or how to get their car up a snow covered road (just as examples).

So while aiding the driver is a good thing, taking the driver out of the equation all together is not. Unfortunately, with how easy it is to get a DL, and the lack of real driver education in the US, we are just taking the driver further out of the equation.

 

Technology makes us safer drivers not better drivers imho......unless you are driving a GTR or EVO. Everyone looks like a pro behind the wheel of those cars

 

This sums up my attitude. Also, many safety devices will specifically state they are not a replacement for the proper attention and skills of the driver, in more or less words. So technology cannot create a better driver, but it can compensate for lack of driving skill, to a point...as designed. Of course, there will be more refinement, as dictated by regulation and industry trends.

I do know, though, that cars are safer now than they ever were before, which is a good thing.

 

Does it actually make us safer drivers? I would argue no. It makes us safer occupants. Which I think is a critical distinction...

 

I think the technology in todays AWD super cars like AYC in the EVO, and the stellar systems in the GTR and even the 911 turbo do make the driver look like a better driver.


There is no substitute for track driving,imho, to teach a driver how to control a car.hold

 

If you are safer behind the wheel then you are a safer driver. Directly or indirectly the result is the same....no accident.

Things like ABS, TCS,VDC, AYC, etc will protect drivers from themselves and the dangerous roads

 

Not necessarily. They will compliment a good driver that knows how to handle dangerous conditions without electronic aids - and that only when they are working properly and not too intrusive.

At the same time they will make an idiot over confident and eventually get him into an accident.