Safety Technology Is Not Saving Us from Ourselves

"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro) 09/06/2016 at 09:00 • Filed to: safety, technology, safety technology, statistics, nhtsa, distracted driving, driver error, crashes, fatalities, rants, automation

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Last week, the NHTSA’s !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! released their annual Motor Vehicle Crashes Overview for 2015. Spoiler alert: it’s getting worse out there...

According to the report (which is worth a look !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ), the number of motor-vehicle crashes went up dramatically, at a rate not seen in nearly 50 years. While total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) increased 3.5% from 2014 to 2015, overall crashes rose 3.8%, and fatalities went up a whopping 7.2% over the previous year.

Numbers climbed in nearly every category:

The number of passenger car and light-truck occupant fatalities is at its highest since 2009.

SUV occupant fatalities increased by 382, an additional 10.1 percent over the number in 2014.

Van occupant fatalities increased by 95, a 9.3-percent increase.

Passenger car occupant fatalities increased by 681, a 5.7-percent increase.

Pickup truck occupant fatalities increased by 200, a 4.7-percent increase.

Motorcyclist fatalities increased by 382 (an 8.3-percent increase), and the number is the largest since 2012.

Pedestrian fatalities increased by 466 (a 9.5-percent increase), and are at their highest number since 1996.

Pedalcyclist fatalities increased by 89 (a 12.2-percent increase), and are at their highest level since 1995.

Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities increased by 3.2 percent, from 9,943 in 2014 to 10,265 in 2015.

The estimated number of injured people experienced a statistically significant increase. In 2015 there was an increase of 105,000 people injured in motor vehicle crashes over 2014.

Getting mad yet? Me too.

How can we stop these numbers from rising even further? What is causing these crashes? The NHTSA has !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , too. Not only do the overwhelming majority of these incidents come down to driver error, but the NHTSA breaks it down even further:

... recognition error , which included driver’s inattention, internal and external distractions, and inadequate surveillance, was the most (41% ±2.2%) frequently assigned critical reason. Decision error such as driving too fast for conditions, too fast for the curve, false assumption of others’ actions, illegal maneuver and misjudgment of gap or others’ speed accounted for about 33 percent (±3.7%) of the crashes. In about 11 percent (±2.7%) of the crashes, the critical reason was performance error such as overcompensation, poor directional control, etc...

The problem is not that we don’t have autonomous cars yet. The problem is not that people continue to drive older cars that lack the latest safety technology. The problem -when it comes right down to it- is drivers who are not investing themselves in the act of driving . That’s the root cause here.

Sure, technologies like !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! could yield some good results, but it’s going to take a lot more than that to achieve “vision zero”. Besides, automatic features like this have a nasty !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! of making drivers a little too comfortable...

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When it comes to automation in driving, we’re better off with it being !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , lest drivers fall into a false sense of security. But doubling down on autonomy could still put us in a state of overdependence. Perhaps our efforts are better spent investing in human drivers...

Now to be fair, either avenue by which one might look for a solution to universally fix poor driving could eventually pay off. Whether you increase driver competence, or create a competent system to do the driving, you will still end up with better driving, reduced collisions, and improved overall safety.

But influencing drivers to become better is something that could be started much sooner, and at less cost. So why not start now?

With so many different varieties of bad driving to address, a simple It Can Wait -style campaign isn’t going to cut it. We need drivers to up their game in all aspects of driving, not just in putting the phone down.

Maybe instead of aiming for more “safety” technology, the NHTSA could concentrate its efforts on pushing for more/better driver education and stricter licensing procedures... If more drivers faced a higher likelihood of losing their license, maybe they would work harder to keep it.

What other steps could be taken to help improve driving culture? Should things like enhanced education remain voluntary, or does there need to be some sweeping reform? (Say, how soon could we get that !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! together?)

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The nation lost 35,092 people in traffic crashes in 2015, ending a 5-decade trend of declining fatalities... !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

OPPOsaurus WRX > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 09:14

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this guyslike ‘ can i play too?’

Wheelerguy > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 09:17

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SUV occupant fatalities increased by 382, an additional 10.1 percent over the number in 2014.

Ahahahaha—wait, no, I shouldn’t laugh. Or maybe I should. Maybe not. I should. Should not. Yes. No. Yes. No.

Either way, the false sense of security is strong with the nation’s crossover-driving public.

NostalgicCarLife > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 09:17

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There’s not much you can do when people are stupid, think of themselves as all-important, and don’t understand the seriousness of what they’re doing and how it may affect others.

We can’t even get people to figure out how to zipper merge, something I’m sure we could even train parrots to do competently. Humans on the other hand: “I’m not going to let this car in, because I WIN if I’m in front of them!” *is behind a string of thousands of cars*

Education can only help those who want to learn.

Nibby > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 09:21

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text and drive, it will end your miserable lives quicker.

CB > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 09:23

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Hm, just looking at the numbers now. Looks like the main increases were in truck, motorcycle, and pedestrian/cyclist accidents (in terms of percentages of total accidents), while there is actually a 6% decrease in fatalities in passenger vehicles between 2006 and 2015. This makes me wonder what the increase in number of motorcyclist kilometres driven and truck kilometres driven were, if there was an increase, or how many more of them on the road there are. I also don’t like the fact that they keep using raw numbers instead of a ratio (fatalities per million kilometres driven, for example), because that would make comparing the numbers much easier.

From what it looks like, driver safety tech is working, since fatalities within vehicles are down (page 5). However, fatalities outside of vehicles is up. So what we need is better visibility, and as you suggested, better driver training (although there is an onus on pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists to be aware that they probably won’t walk away from an accident if they make a poor decision or trip/fall/have mechanical failure).

However, I doubt that we’ll ever see better driver training mandated, or if we do, it’ll be very minimal. As much as it is said that driving is a privilege, not a right, in the United States, you probably need a car right now, since there isn’t much infrastructure that exists that would entirely replace someone’s need for a car. By making it more difficult to get a license, there’ll likely be an increase in fake licenses or driving without licenses. What needs to be done is offering more viable alternatives to driving, maybe having restricted no driving zones in larger urban areas, that kind of stuff.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 09:23

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I honestly think it's becaus newer safer cars give people a false sense of security. They feel nice and safe an isolated, so they stop paying attention. Not to mention that cars are getting harder to actually see out of. Can't tell you the close calls that have Aussie the giant A pillars on our Fit could hide a H1.

smobgirl > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 09:25

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The psych field can’t decide if its really happening but an increase of narcissistic traits in Americans could be contributing as well. If you think texting bans/cell phone laws/DUI laws/common driving courtesies don’t apply to you you’re automatically increasing the danger level for everyone on the road with you.

BorkBorkBjork > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 09:26

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Distracted driving is a huge issue here, but we also have a huge driver skill gap that needs to be addressed.

What does a 1000-hp Bugatti, a Diesel F-450 hauling 26,000-lbs, and a Smart Car have in common? You can drive all 3 with the same license.

scoob > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 09:36

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What started happening in 2008 and 2009?

Oh yeah, the recession.

Fact: to reduce fatalities, we must have another recession.

Cé hé sin > BorkBorkBjork 09/06/2016 at 09:45

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You can certainly drive the two cars on the same licence wherever you are, but a vehicle grossing 12 or so tonnes? Where is this?

facw > Cé hé sin 09/06/2016 at 09:56

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26,000 lbs is normally the limit in the US (I think a few states do this differently, and pretty much everyone requires a special license endorsement for air brakes).

Still, nearly anyone with a license can go rent this and drive it around:

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 09:58

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It’s true. You get a little comfortable and you’re willing to take more risks. I go faster driving in someone else’s car because the pillars of their new Camry are miles thick and I’m in a bunker.

facw > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 10:01

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The big thing you are missing (I think, it’s a long read and I just woke up), is that we haven’t seen any major change in deaths per mile. Your graph isn’t telling us that people are driving less safely or that new safety features are useless, it’s telling us that people are driving more.

In any event, I don’t think you’ll ever get everyone (or even close to everyone) to care about driving, which is why self driving cars are so important.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 10:02

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I’m an above average driver.

- Everyone

BorkBorkBjork > Cé hé sin 09/06/2016 at 10:02

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At 26,0001-lbs and above you need a CDL, if I am not mistaken. Otherwise, you can drive anywhere in the 50 states.

Cé hé sin > facw 09/06/2016 at 10:07

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Not me! Anything grossing over 3.5 tonnes (biggish van) needs a truck licence where I am. There’s a restricted licence which presumably has a less elaborate test that covers you to 7.5 tonnes which should do the truck in your picture.

Urambo Tauro > facw 09/06/2016 at 10:13

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That graph came from NHTSA. They do report VMT figures, but an easy-to-read visualization of those numbers against each other would be nice.

But I think that the whole focus on fatalities is a mistake. We need to prevent crashes, not consequences.

facw > Cé hé sin 09/06/2016 at 10:33

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That’s probably a smarter way to do things. Untrained people driving those huge rental trucks or class-A RVs are scary.

My bird IS the word > Wheelerguy 09/06/2016 at 10:44

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This is the statistics tricking you. Likely this is because of more people driving SUVs than it is anything else.

My bird IS the word > facw 09/06/2016 at 10:47

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This is key. Without the whole set of statistics (and deaths per mile seems the most critical) this is just a way for the nhtsa to push an agenda. Not a bad agenda, but I don't appreciate being misled all the same.

Nonster > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 11:11

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I’m not sure if the improved safety tech is making people more complacent or not. On one hand I’m sure things like autobraking have helped prevent or lessen the impact in many accidents but there’s only so much that the tech can do to protect us from ourselves.

The big problem is a long-standing, deep-seated flaw in our driving culture. Driving is not treated with the measure of respect that it deserves. This is nothing new and this issue has probably been around as long as cars have.

I’m quoting a response I gave to a FP post from a week or so ago.

The problem is that the vast majority of drivers don’t respect what you point out, that they’re piloting 4,000 lb machines capable of causing serious injury, destruction, and death. Somewhere along the line a long time ago it became ingrained in our culture that driving was something we’re entitled to. That it is our right. Most have forgotten that it is a privilege.

Imagine being handed a handgun or some sort of firearm and being told that in order to get to work, punch in, unlock the door to your apartment, etc. you had to fire it down a range lined with people down either side. Given enough room and some basic instruction its not by any means impossible, but you’d be damn sure to give that task your full concentration. Driving should be treated with the same measure of respect but its not.

I went a little over the top with the metaphor but the point stands. I think the fix is better driver education and stricter licensing, but that is one monumentally uphill battle and I don’t think anyone in politics gives a rats ass enough or is willing to stand up and tell a large number of Americans that they’re essentially to stupid to drive.

just-a-scratch > facw 09/06/2016 at 12:40

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I’m with you on this. I don’t see how this deals with the incident per mile driven view. In my estimation, miles driven are up in the last several years. It makes sense that if people are driving more, the number of fatalities on the road will go up also. If we normalized the data for miles driven, and fatalities per mile driven also increased, then the case would be much stronger.

As it is, this looks just like people are driving more. It does not look like a real shift in how people are driving during the time period 2009-2016. I agree that a focus on attentive driving could help, but it also could have helped in 2008 and earlier.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 12:47

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Congratulations! They have confirmed the observation of “risk homeostasis.”

This means that as an act is perceived to be safer, a person is willing to take more risks around it.

Hence we end up with adding a ton of “safety features” to cars that really don’t affect the crash statistics.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > BorkBorkBjork 09/06/2016 at 12:56

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Or a Farm license of the appropriate weight class, if driving for non-commercial purposes and not in a vehicle registered as a recreational vehicle.

CDL is generally required if driving for commercial purposes, irrespective of weight (e.g. passenger transport).

TheBimmerGuyWhoNowOwnsAChevy > Urambo Tauro 09/06/2016 at 23:42

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As I relatively new driver, I’m glad I give driving my full attention and respectfully fear the potential consequences. I drive a 32 year old manual so basically not giving 100% attention to the car and road will end up with some serious injury. Personally I don’t mind having less safety equipment, it is an encouragement to drive safer at that; lastly in California, dozing off in any way is a guaranteed way to get in an accident, so I’m not taking any chances with that.

YumYumOfTheYum > OPPOsaurus WRX 09/11/2016 at 05:56

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Nope. He actually wanted to take a glimpse of Optimus Prime.

YumYumOfTheYum > facw 09/11/2016 at 06:19

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In any event, I don’t think you’ll ever get everyone (or even close to everyone) to care about driving (...)

He can’t.

But the government (in your country’s case, NHTSA ?) can.

(...) which is why self driving cars are so important

Nah. Nope. No.

Self driving cars are important because progress . Humanity needs progress, to rotate the wheels of economy, and so on. Not because everyone/close to everyone cannot be gotten into care about driving.

I’m totally not against self driving cars. For example, I would really appreciate a car (and will definitely buy one if the model, ride, specs, price, etc are right) that can detect the event and take over for the driver and go by itself to nearest hospital while sending notices/alerts to relatives and paramedics when the driver got a compromising medical condition such as heart attack or stroke.

The fundamentals of driving itself is engagement — the vehicle you drive being extensions of your limbs (and maybe senses, in the future ?). The problem is, some people thinks that they can drive (which maybe is), but in reality, we are not as good as we think we are (pretty much in anything, actually). Autonomous vehicles are not the solution for this particular problem; the #1 fundamental solution is strictly driver’s awareness and education. If one wants to drive, he/she must care about driving first and foremost , and then his/her own safety and road safety (traffic, pedestrian, cyclists, bikers, squirrels, bridges, everything else, you name it) in general will follow. Others such are assist devices and sensors are extras that surely will help but will only be optimal when that #1 is fulfilled.

(Bear in mind that this is a Jalop’s perspective. I’m also a commuter myself who loves both driving cars and riding motorcycles. Whenever I don’t care about driving/riding, there are public transports, and recently those ride-sharing services, which makes everything much much easier, and in certain situations, cheaper [inflation adjusted], than, say, 5 years ago. That’s not even close to the days of our grandpa’s.. Although, that’s a discussion for another day, I suppose..)