Is car safety technology replacing common sense?

[Mike Marlow]

I was thinking more of devices like ABS, seat belts, dual braking
system, disc brakes, air bags, safety glass, improved suspensions,
improved tires, etc. But yes it is also a good idea to have a car
that can't be started unless it is in park and the foot is on the
brake. I wish we didn't have to design cars for the lowest common
denominator, but we do.

Actually, we don't. That's sheeple thinking that safety nannies want you to
believe. For example - where was the runaway rate of cars mowing people
over as their owners started them up without their foot on the brake?
Right - there never was a problem here. Yet - it's too common to find
people jumping on board that this must be a great idea. In reality, it's a
solution in search of a problem. Likewise the requirement to put your foot
on the brake to shift an automatic out of park.

 

[Pete C.]

Seems like the easier, cheaper and safer solution is to make it harder
to get a driver's license, and easier for incompetent drivers to lose
their license. The tolerance most states have for bad driving is
unbelievable, especially in the southwest (California with it's
complete lack of ability to enforce it's license requirements, Arizona
with effectively permanent licenses...).

Just retest everybody every time their license renewal comes up,
regardless of age or driving record. And make drivers licenses expire
at least as often as registration tags, if not sooner.

Raise the test standard to the equivalent of a commercial class B, and
ban automatic transmissions and you'll get the worst of the problems off
the road...