Lane Departure Warning

Inattention is the biggest killer on our roads according to quantitative research. Forget speeding – it only racks up something like four to eight per cent of the primary cause crashes, whereas not paying attention amounts for around 35 to 50 per cent of crashes.

My thoughts on the ridiculous concentration on speed by the so-called road safety experts are already well documented, so I won't go into that subject here. Let's look at inattention – the biggest danger of them all.

Mobile phones are the number one cause, and it's alarming to find that the majority of people admit to using them to talk while driving. And many drivers still feel it's OK to look at text messages while controlling a couple of tonnes of moving car. Fewer idiots compose texts while on the move than reading texts from others, but the incredible amount of time their eyes are off the road whilst doing so makes me shiver in fear. These people are in the same traffic flow as me and members of my family.

Gung-ho sales reps like to drive along with two items suctioned to their vehicles’ windscreens. To one side of their driving position they have a satellite navigation system, on the other there's their trusty mobile phone with its screen full of messages and appointments assisting them doing their job. And that person may be driving past just a metre away from your kids at a bus stop as you read this.

Car makers are making it easier for these idiots to stay out of trouble – or, more likely, providing them with an excuse to take their eyes off the road because they feel confident that the car will do some of the driving for them.

I'm talking about items like lane departure warning systems that watch the white lines on the road and warn the driver they are getting too close to them. If you haven’t used the blinker to let the car know you are meaning to cross the lines it will do something like sound a buzzer, or even vibrate the driver’s seat as a warning.

Then there are the so-called blind-spot advisory systems that let you know if another vehicle is close behind and to the side of yours. Generally these simply flash a light in the area of the mirror to alert the driver to the potential problem. These are useful devices and help those who don’t know how to set up and use their door mirrors correctly to stay out of trouble.

Now we are seeing collision avoidance devices that watch for an object in front that's getting too close too soon. These firstly warn the driver, usually both visually and audibly, of troubles building up, then in some cars apply the brakes hard to try and avoid a crash. Or at least minimise the speed of the crash to reduce the danger of injuries.

These days, the more advanced cruise control systems can not only keep the car at a preset speed, but will even slow it down to maintain the correct gap to the car in front.

All of the aforementioned devices are potential life savers and I'm very much in favour of their installation, and look forward to the day when they become available on cars in the affordable price range. But – and it's a huge but – they should only be used to increase current levels of road safety, not to let dopey drivers deliberately take their attention off the road in the hope that the electronic gadgets will take over the tasks they should be doing themselves.

I've said it many times before and make no apologies for repeating it yet again. While you are driving you should always have two hands on the steering wheel, two eyes on the road and 100 per cent of your brain on the vital task of staying alive.

ewan@marque.com.au

Lane Departure Warning

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