Nowadays, even the most basic car models are sardine-tin packed with technology. You have your remote central lock, stereo controls mounted on the steering wheel and air conditioner. And if you forget to strap on the seatbelt, a warning beep will first start metaphorically clearing its throat – but if you insist on ignoring it, the beep will up the tempo until it has given you one of those headaches which make you want to pull your hair out.
Why is it that while cars are getting better, our driving isn’t?
Higher end models are more technologically fluent, with surround sound systems, heated seats, automatic climate control, smartphone connection, and on-board computers that constantly stream data such as journey time, fuel consumption and trip mileage.
And that’s all very good. There is just one conundrum though – why is it that while cars are getting better, our driving isn’t?
We might have the most advanced on-board technology in our cars, but it’s all a bit useless since we don’t even use the most basic technology. Take indicators, for instance. We’ve done a bit of research (actually, we’ve just driven round the block) and it’s clear that the majority of drivers don’t use indicators. They overtake other cars, change direction and speed out of side roads without indicating. It’s as if they assume that we know where they are going.
Then there is the misuse of basic technology. The Maltese Highway Code stipulates that you cannot use your horn after sunset – instead, you should dip your lights. However, most drivers insist on honking their horn through the night and don’t even switch on their headlamps, let alone dip them.
And that’s not even mentioning the misuse of technology, like taking and making calls while driving and investing in window-shattering four-wheeled boomboxes.
It’s all basic stuff. But it’s the kind of stuff that gets us safely to our destination.