[s-cars] Re: driving ability vs ABS, EDL, DSP, 4-WD, etc

[CyberPoet]

As many of the lister might know by now (especially those who were
around years ago when I was), in addition to being an Audiphile, I am
also a motorcycle driver and a German-certified Driving Instructor
(among other things). Now for my two cents worth:

1. All the stability and traction control system, crumple zones and
safety systems built into cars are designed to make up for driver
stupidity and decrease lawsuits against car manufacturers. They
compensate for the fact that the average American driver is becoming
less skilled at driving (as a group) than more skilled. Hamburger in
one hand, cell phone in the other, knee on the wheel drivers are a fact
of life on the road these days, one that is probably more apparent to
us motorcyclists than most car drivers. Why is that freak on two wheels
going 120 mph? Because he's trying to distance himself from the threats
about him and get into a big gap in traffic.

2. The real problem with the system isn't the improvement/evolution (or
in the case of SUV's, de-evolution) of car's systems, but the ease and
lack of training with which American (or insert many countries) drivers
can obtain a license. The testing in every US state I have seen has
involved rudimentary abilities and has never covered those situations
that are most likely to lead to loss of life or bodily injury (such as
what to do in case of catastrophic brake failure, or loss of the rear
end resulting in a slide). In an hour, which usually includes fifty
minutes of waiting in line, you can obtain a full driver's license
without limitation or restriction. Gee, got the where-with-all to turn
a steering wheel and remember to turn on a blinker at the same time?
You pass. Even such simple tasks as parallel parking are falling by the
wayside (they eliminated them from the Florida test a few years ago).
It is the theoretical equivalent of asking someone to add two plus two,
arrive at the conclusion ("four") and then giving them a bachelor's
degree in mathematics. This is the real problem.

=-= Marc S.A. Glasgow



On Thursday, January 9, 2003, at 12:00 PM,
s-car-list-request at audifans.com wrote:

> It all Darwinism, no matter what the age of the
> driver, the really stupid will eventually be weeded out.
>
> I think today's teenagers are much better off with so
> many cars offering ABS, EDL, DSP, Allwheel Drive, etc.