Modern car tech is great as long as drivers don’t get over-reliant and lazy

Automatic headlights and wipers, humongous touchscreens, countless sensors, autonomous emergency braking – the list of technology in modern cars is longer than ever before. All of these features often come in seriously handy, too, taking a sizeable chunk of effort out of everyday driving.

However, if you’re shopping for a new car that’s adorned with all of this lovely gadgetry, I urge you to do one thing: remember that it’s there to assist you as a driver, not replace you. 

All too often I’ll be driving along the motorway with numerous cars creeping far too closely towards the centre white line, or there are countless people driving without their lights on at night, or in rain and fog. 

Sure, people have been making driving mistakes since the dawn of the motor car, but I can’t help feeling that some of us are becoming too reliant on automation.

Mainstream fully autonomous driving is a while away yet, so it’s vital that we all remember who’s responsible for the safety of every car on the road: the driver. I’m certainly not saying that we should stop using advanced assistance and safety systems (in fact I often make use of them myself) but, as with any other kind of technology, I’m saying that it’s essential that we respect it and operate it properly – especially when you consider that it’s your own safety – and that of other road users – that’s potentially at risk. 

It shouldn’t take long to learn and understand your car’s advanced safety and assistance systems, whether that’s through hands-on experience, by reading your owner’s manual, or making sure you pay attention to a proper handover from the dealer when you buy a new car that will likely have cleverer tech than the one you’re coming out of. Being clued up on these systems means you’ll then be in a better place to understand each one’s limitations. It’s a pretty small amount of effort, but this extra homework could prove crucial in keeping you safe from any accidents or falling foul of the law.

Once you’re familiar with your car’s fancy technology, it’s then important to resist the temptation of getting too comfortable and falling into bad habits. While many new cars will now tell you off for looking away from the road in front or taking your hands of the wheel, it shouldn’t be down to a machine to remind you to drive safely.

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