In case you're wondering if new cars are safer.

https://www.yahoo.com/autos/old-cars-unsafe...-200000562.html

As the cars get safer with technology the drivers compensate for that extra safety by driving worse.

I'll say with certainty that I drive much more defensively in my old cars then I do in my new cars.

That said, I was sad to hear "1998" be referred to as an old car. I mean I know it is, at the point, old. But, sheesh!

And smashing up that 59 Bel Air i borderline criminal. WTF!

Zach

We are fast approaching the point when someone crashes into you, they will not be responsible at all as they point to their car and say, "The car crashed into you, not me".

But . . .

I'd offer that it is up to each of us to resist that . Do not accept this - do not support laws, law makers, OEM's, and other imbeciles that support this

The next thing that occurs is the car begins to make decisions (for you) on who lives and who dies based on an algorithm you will have not control over.

Don't delude yourself into thinking these discussions aren't already going on.

Funny thing is . . . . ever notice how safety never involves getting incompetent drivers off the road? Like actual driver education that doesn't involve propaganda and includes something like an actual skills test that includes situational vision scanning techniques and a demonstrated ability to do limit braking and skid control.

You will never will see it. It's always some futuristic promise of a "technology" that will solve the problems . . . .Seat Belts (1968) will solve it . . . oops that didn't do it. Air Bags (1998) will solve it . . . oops that didn't do it. ABS will solve it . . . . oops that didn't do it. Making ESC standard (2013) will solve it . . . . oops that didn't do it. Forward Collision Warning . . . . oops that didn't do it. Automatic Emergency Braking (must be standard by 2025) . . . . oops that didn't do it. Now the new promised land is autonomy . . . I'm sure that will fix it.

Check out Matthew Crawford’s book “Why We Drive.” Some thought provoking ideas on why companies like Google and Amazon are pushing autonomous cars. Hint: it’s not about driving.

http://www.matthewbcrawford.com/why-we-drive

He also provides some interesting thoughts on old cars:

Click to view attachment

Don't let the ghosts escape....

My wife's new KIA has a bunch of automated stuff, like guiding the wheel in a turn, and stopping if there is something behind you. It takes some getting used to. Another annoying thing is it slows you down if you get too close to the person in front of you, but you aren't thinking about it because you have the cruise control on, it's only when you realize you've been going 50 mph for 10 miles. Tech!

So what technology can snatch the cell phones out of the hands of clueless distracted drivers?

I'm thankful for all the improvements that have been made in auto safety and emission controls since the 1960's. Accidents that were not survivable in cars from that era are much more likely to be survivable today, due to innovations such as collapsible steering columns, door guard rails, engineered crush structures, improved tire durability and traction, and a host of other improvements.

Anyone who lived in a major metropolitan area in the 1960's and 1970's remembers the enormous amount of photochemical smog that was generated by cars of that era. Modern cars with electronic engine management and three-way catalytic converters vastly reduced emissions. Elimination of leaded fuel vastly improved health for people around the world, with some areas showing a tenfold decrease in blood lead levels.

Our 914's were at the beginning of this transition, being one of the first vehicles with electronically controlled fuel injection, for better mixture management across all driving conditions. Fuel vapor management and engine vapor management with positive crankcase ventilation also reduced emissions. Four-wheel disk brakes and unibody construction helped safety. Paper-thin doors did not :-(

I don't want to go back to an era of bias-ply tires, drum brakes, crude suspensions, open crankcase breathers, and commonplace idle mixtures of 5 to 10% CO.

i'm going to buy that book after reading that.

I drive my 914 like I ride my moto: expecting no one to see me, and ready to act accordingly.

My 2011 GTI is such a less-stressful ride. And smoother. And quieter.

But that drive last Fall from central CT, across New York City, and into southern Jersey to race (not the 914) at NJMP was its own joy.

I'd certainly rather deal with stupid drivers while in the GTI, though.

BTW, Crawford's "Shop Class as Soulcraft"? Yeah, that one needs to be on your list, too. It came from an essay he did in The New Atlantis, which, thankfully, is still available online: https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications...ss-as-soulcraft

Don't barf or laugh, the day is coming. I bet someone is working on it

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I don't want to go back to an era of bias-ply tires, drum brakes, crude suspensions, open crankcase breathers, and commonplace idle mixtures of 5 to 10% CO.
[/quote]

Me too. But I could readily ban touch screens that the driver can see. Give me back my knobs. Also, I sure miss the ability to open a vent and let air pressure do the ventilation. Opening the windows in a modern car is both difficult and prone to creating pressure waves.