How to make vehicle traffic safer is something that has been attempted for years with little if any success. What are some of the ways we could potentially improve road safety?
Technology: Some say that driving will become safer through technology. Handing the driving of a car over to computers will make things safer it is often stated. In certain scenarios such as travel between airport terminals and even motorway traffic, I can see benefits.
Reality: However, when artificial intelligence comes across something it cannot interpret, it is useless or worse still dangerous. Take cars into suburban environs with all the unpredictability that involves and the term artificial intelligence becomes a misnomer.
Conclusion: Limited application benefits.
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Lower speed limits: That presumably allows more time for a driver to judge and react as well as reducing the impact when an accident does occur.
Reality: Real world results don't appear to bear out the benefit of reduced speed. It seems poor driving isn't helped by this measure.
Conclusion: Little if any benefit.
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Tougher driving tests: This varies from country to country but one would think this must help.
Reality: It probably has some benefit but less so as time passes.
Conclusion: On its own not enough to make much difference.
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Periodic retesting/education: This would surely improve safety to some dgree.
Reality: It would be costly and inconvenient to carry out as well as unpopular with many. Once we have a drivers licence, do we feel we need to prove again and again we are competent motorists?
Conclusion: In the too hard basket.
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Our attitude: Most drivers (especially men) overrate their driving skills and assume an accident won't happen to them.
Reality: Careful drivers are safer as they are not over confident. Patient drivers are less likely to take risks or hurry. Respectful drivers show consideration to other motorists, even allowing them to go ahead of themselves, thereby reducing road rage and impatience. Drivers lacking any of these attributes would need to be humble enough to admit they could improve and then actually try to do so.
Conclusion: We can all make motoring safer by the way we view driving, other motorists and safety. It has real potential but do enough people care to make it happen?
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Summary: The problem is human nature. We have such amazing abilities as humans to drive and interpret scenarios quickly. Yet overconfidence and lack of respect for road safety ensures that injuries and fatalities will be far greater than they need to be.
