If there is one thing that you may notice with new car commercials, it is that safety features are being highlighted just as much as horsepower or financing options. It is almost as if automakers are trying to convince car buyers that drivers cannot be safe without the latest technology.
Indeed, automakers want to impress potential buyers, and the way to do so is with the latest bells and whistles. This is why commercials highlight crash avoidance systems, lane integrity warnings and automatic braking options. But is technology really needed in order for a driver to be safe while behind the wheel?
Indeed, elements of crash avoidance systems, such as lane integrity and blind spot warnings can help drivers when they (for any reason) fail to check their blind spots before making a lane change, but they do not necessarily take the place of a driver using reasonable care and simply looking over his or her shoulder to check and see if the lane is clear.
The same could be said about automatic braking systems, which use cameras and radar to scan for hazards and tells the car to brake when a hazard is detected. Theoretically, these systems can detect and respond to hazards that a driver may not be able to see and react accordingly. But again, a driver that uses reasonable care to watch out for hazards and drives at or below the speed limit so that proper reactions can be made can avoid many of the same hazards.
Ultimately, while crash avoidance systems are nice to have, using reasonable care is enough to keep the average driver safe.