Could safety gear make drivers reckless?
Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, says one of the insurance industry-funded group’s biggest concerns is that people will drive more aggressively. IIHS thinks that’s what many drivers did in the early days of anti-lock brakes. That helped negate the technology’s benefits, as it could with the new systems. While some automakers struggle with finding the perfect balance of driving excitement and hand-holding safety — “We’re supposed to be the ultimate driving machine, not the ultimate driven machine,” says BMW safety chief Tom Baloga — others can’t get the devices on their vehicles fast enough. “Our owners expect us to have safety,” says Volvo spokesman Dan Johnston. “This is a natural part of what we do.” Still, when devices like assisted braking, lane-departure prevention and adaptive cruise control take over some functions from the driver, everyone gets a little nervous. “The downside is that people will have the impression that the vehicle will save
