There is a movement that formed several years ago on the relatively unknown social media platform RotorHead that has enjoyed a surge in popularity as of late. RotorHead is a place where car enthusiasts gather and discuss everything about cars and car culture. Some time back, a discussion began about modern safety features found in vehicles at Chevrolet dealers in Georgia. One brave soul spoke his or her mind and suggested that safety features are basically taking the fun out of driving. In short, your driving experience would be more fun if it weren’t for those pesky safety features.
And, thus, a movement was started, and it has gathered enough steam that drivers across the country are now campaigning to have safety features removed from new automobile models. But is it all hype, or is there substance to the belief that safety features rob you of the joys of driving a vehicle? We decided to investigate, and what we found might come as a complete shock to you. In a nutshell, safety features do indeed take the fun out of driving.
Walk it Off
Seat belts date back to 1959, and federal laws requiring the use of seatbelts were mandated in 1968. But this pesky law was ignored by a rather large chunk of the American people, who looked at the law as infringing on their freedom. And we can see why. Having to strap yourself in your car is both a waste of time and energy; time is much better spent finding the right radio station or yelling at your kids to keep quiet. As a kid growing up in the 1970s, dad would take a corner a bit too fast, and it would whip my brothers and myself clear across the back seat of our Buick Regal.
Sure, it hurt when we slammed into the side of the door, and it usually left one of us bleeding from the head as in those days, door handles, door locks and other parts of the door were made of metal instead of plastic. Dad would glance in the rearview mirror after such an incident, chuckle, and tell the bleeding brother to get out of the car and walk it off. If that didn’t work, he would suggest rubbing dirt on it. Here is the thing, we enjoyed flying all over the back seat, and it was one of the few occasions when dad would actually interact with us.
Playing Stupid Games
As a teenager, we would play a little game known as “thread the needle,” in which the object is to make a lane change in extremely tight situations. Not to boast, but I once performed a lane change between a Ford Pinto and Toyota Corolla with less than three inches to spare in the front and back. The look on the faces of the drivers and passengers in the Pinto was priceless. Nowadays, an annoying alarm goes off when it’s not safe to change lanes. What a party pooper.
Speaking of changing lanes, it’s the blind spot that gives it a sense of adventure. But because of safety features like blind-spot monitoring and numerous cameras, it takes all of the guesswork and fun out of blindly changing lanes.
Out of Control
If you have ever seen videos of vehicles spinning out of control in icy and snowy conditions, you know it is good for a few laughs. Anybody who has ever driven in icy conditions knows that feeling when you can’t gain traction and basically lose control of the vehicle, spinning aimlessly down the street. Good times, it’s just like a ride at the amusement park. But thanks to traction control, electronic stability control, and other modern safety features, the thrill of slipping and sliding in a snowstorm is all but gone.
As you can clearly see, the addition of all of these safety features is taking all of the fun out of driving. If you agree and would like more information, create an account on RotorHead and join our group, GASS (Gearheads Against Safety Standards), and help us make car driving fun again.
And, thus, a movement was started, and it has gathered enough steam that drivers across the country are now campaigning to have safety features removed from new automobile models. But is it all hype, or is there substance to the belief that safety features rob you of the joys of driving a vehicle? We decided to investigate, and what we found might come as a complete shock to you. In a nutshell, safety features do indeed take the fun out of driving.
Walk it Off
Seat belts date back to 1959, and federal laws requiring the use of seatbelts were mandated in 1968. But this pesky law was ignored by a rather large chunk of the American people, who looked at the law as infringing on their freedom. And we can see why. Having to strap yourself in your car is both a waste of time and energy; time is much better spent finding the right radio station or yelling at your kids to keep quiet. As a kid growing up in the 1970s, dad would take a corner a bit too fast, and it would whip my brothers and myself clear across the back seat of our Buick Regal.
Sure, it hurt when we slammed into the side of the door, and it usually left one of us bleeding from the head as in those days, door handles, door locks and other parts of the door were made of metal instead of plastic. Dad would glance in the rearview mirror after such an incident, chuckle, and tell the bleeding brother to get out of the car and walk it off. If that didn’t work, he would suggest rubbing dirt on it. Here is the thing, we enjoyed flying all over the back seat, and it was one of the few occasions when dad would actually interact with us.
Playing Stupid Games
As a teenager, we would play a little game known as “thread the needle,” in which the object is to make a lane change in extremely tight situations. Not to boast, but I once performed a lane change between a Ford Pinto and Toyota Corolla with less than three inches to spare in the front and back. The look on the faces of the drivers and passengers in the Pinto was priceless. Nowadays, an annoying alarm goes off when it’s not safe to change lanes. What a party pooper.
Speaking of changing lanes, it’s the blind spot that gives it a sense of adventure. But because of safety features like blind-spot monitoring and numerous cameras, it takes all of the guesswork and fun out of blindly changing lanes.
Out of Control
If you have ever seen videos of vehicles spinning out of control in icy and snowy conditions, you know it is good for a few laughs. Anybody who has ever driven in icy conditions knows that feeling when you can’t gain traction and basically lose control of the vehicle, spinning aimlessly down the street. Good times, it’s just like a ride at the amusement park. But thanks to traction control, electronic stability control, and other modern safety features, the thrill of slipping and sliding in a snowstorm is all but gone.
As you can clearly see, the addition of all of these safety features is taking all of the fun out of driving. If you agree and would like more information, create an account on RotorHead and join our group, GASS (Gearheads Against Safety Standards), and help us make car driving fun again.
