Listening Englih: As Cars Take Control, Driving Gets Worse
Cars are getting safer. But people are driving worse. The two things seem to be connected.
Taking the Wheel
Many new cars come with driver-assist technology. The cars can take safety steps on their own. They can brake before a crash. They can check spots that drivers can't see. They can stay in their own lane on the road.
All that is supposed to help reduce car crashes and bad driving. But experts think it might have an unforeseen side effect. It might let people pay less attention when they are driving.
A Worrying Trend
U.S. roadway deaths increased 14 percent over the last two years. More than 40,000 people died in crashes in 2016. Speeding and traffic caused some of the crashes. But so did distraction.
Driver-assist technology was supposed to cut down on the effects of distracted driving. Now car makers worry that drivers are trusting the technology too much.
Carmakers want to keep drivers engaged, or interested in driving. But they aren't sure how much to limit the technology. Some carmakers are making cars that drive themselves. Others worry about losing sales if they don't do the same.
Helping or Hurting?
Researchers at Toyota are studying how driving habits might change in the future. They are trying to learn what the new risks are going to be.
"Is it going to be people testing their vehicles to the limits? Or showing off to their neighbors?" asked Chuck Gulash. He runs the research program.
A study by the University of Michigan found problems. It looked at how drivers use systems that alert them to cars in their blind spots. Drivers stopped looking over their shoulders to check for themselves when changing lanes.
"They'll trust the systems more than they'll trust themselves," one researcher said.
Tricks and Tragedy
Some cars make drivers touch the wheel often to keep them engaged in driving. But there have been YouTube videos of people tricking the technology. The videos show drivers hopping into the back seat as a car is moving.
A Tesla self-driving car got into a bad crash last year. The driver had his hands on the wheel for just 25 seconds in the final 37 minutes of driving. He crashed into a truck and died.
Driver Beware
Drivers often don't know how much to trust driver-assist technology. Each type of car has a different system. If drivers change cars or use a rental car without the technology, that could cause problems. Speed also changes how well the systems work.
Taking the Wheel
Many new cars come with driver-assist technology. The cars can take safety steps on their own. They can brake before a crash. They can check spots that drivers can't see. They can stay in their own lane on the road.
All that is supposed to help reduce car crashes and bad driving. But experts think it might have an unforeseen side effect. It might let people pay less attention when they are driving.
A Worrying Trend
U.S. roadway deaths increased 14 percent over the last two years. More than 40,000 people died in crashes in 2016. Speeding and traffic caused some of the crashes. But so did distraction.
Driver-assist technology was supposed to cut down on the effects of distracted driving. Now car makers worry that drivers are trusting the technology too much.
Carmakers want to keep drivers engaged, or interested in driving. But they aren't sure how much to limit the technology. Some carmakers are making cars that drive themselves. Others worry about losing sales if they don't do the same.
Helping or Hurting?
Researchers at Toyota are studying how driving habits might change in the future. They are trying to learn what the new risks are going to be.
"Is it going to be people testing their vehicles to the limits? Or showing off to their neighbors?" asked Chuck Gulash. He runs the research program.
A study by the University of Michigan found problems. It looked at how drivers use systems that alert them to cars in their blind spots. Drivers stopped looking over their shoulders to check for themselves when changing lanes.
"They'll trust the systems more than they'll trust themselves," one researcher said.
Tricks and Tragedy
Some cars make drivers touch the wheel often to keep them engaged in driving. But there have been YouTube videos of people tricking the technology. The videos show drivers hopping into the back seat as a car is moving.
A Tesla self-driving car got into a bad crash last year. The driver had his hands on the wheel for just 25 seconds in the final 37 minutes of driving. He crashed into a truck and died.
Driver Beware
Drivers often don't know how much to trust driver-assist technology. Each type of car has a different system. If drivers change cars or use a rental car without the technology, that could cause problems. Speed also changes how well the systems work.