Are Automatic Features Making Drivers Too Complacent?

Each year auto manufacturers install more and more automatic features designed to make their vehicles safer for drivers and passengers alike. These features include sensors that automatically turn on headlights, dim high beams, even apply the brakes when an obstacle is detected, all so that drivers have less to think about. And therein may lie the problem.

It was announced this month that Tesla, the automaker known for its electric vehicles, has agreed to recall almost 2 million of its vehicles sold in the U.S. This recall follows a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into a number of accidents that have occurred while the vehicles’ Autopilot feature was engaged. Unlike the name implies, the Autopilot system does not replace the need for a human driver. In fact, the system contains features designed to ensure drivers continue to pay attention to both their vehicles and road conditions when in motion. In question, however, is whether these features are enough to ensure drivers don’t become complacent behind the wheel. To learn more, read “Tesla Recalls Nearly All Vehicles Sold In US.”