Cars Getting “Too Quiet and Comfy to be safe!”
October 19th, 2007. Posted in Motoring & Driving NewsModern cars could be getting so quiet and comfortable that they’re becoming unsafe, according to new research out this week.
A team from Brunel University in west London claimed motorists could be at risk because cars were now almost “too well designed” – providing such a smooth and quiet ride that drivers were less aware of road conditions than motorists using older vehicles.
The lack of engine and road noise means drivers of new-cars offered less “feedback” about situations which they encountered behind the wheel, said the report from Brunel’s driving research laboratory.
The research demonstrated the need for car designers to balance technology advances with user-centric design, to ensure drivers have appropriate levels of vehicle feedback and unimpaired situational awareness.
Cars provide timely ‘informal chatter’, such as engine noise and road noise, which keeps us attentive and informed of our situation on the road. If this feedback is removed through car design innovations, the whole nature of driving could change completely, potentially putting lives at risk according to the report findings and conclusions.
Using on-road trials on a fixed 14-mile route, Brunel testers found that drivers of modern, “highly-refined” vehicles referred less to the behaviour of their vehicle and how it was responding to the road environment compared to drivers of older cars.
They said drivers had been shown to be “acutely sensitive” to auditory and tactile feedback – for example engine noise and steering feel – and, among other things, used this feedback to monitor vehicle speed without having to constantly look at the speedometer.
The researchers also claimed drivers were becoming more “isolated” in their cars from the outside environment, and less aware of what was happening around them as a result.
Driving is a complex and dynamic activity say the report. With the advent of new technologies, which remove vehicle feedback and change the driver’s role, we need to be careful we don’t make drivers the equivalent of passengers in their own cars, who are not necessarily in control, or aware of and anticipating changes on the road environment.
Features such as anti-lock brakes, stability control, airbags and crumple zones have undoubtedly made our cars much safer places to be however it probably true that several years ago – without the luxury of power steering, traction control and advanced suspension systems – drivers felt more ‘connected’ to the road and learned more about how vehicles might handle in a difficult situation.
However, looking at the crash test results of new cars compared to those from just a few years back – along with features such as electronic stability control, which can out-brake and out-manoeuvre any human driver it would seem preferable to be behind the wheel of a modern!
