An overreliance on ‘partial automation’ can make drivers less attentive.

After testing 14 versions of ‘partial automation’ features in vehicles, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) concluded that “There’s no evidence that (partial automation) makes driving safer, and, in fact, it can create new risks by making it easier for the driver’s attention to wander.”
According to a piece by Ben Abramson on Strong Towns, “Basic performance testing included seeing how the systems function in prescribed conditions at maintaining speed, distance, and lane control. Most of the systems worked as designed during these sessions, conducted in clear weather and favorable light conditions.”
However, in testing systems that are designed to monitor whether drivers are in control and paying attention, “A look at the IIHS Report Card shows a slew of bad marks in categories such as Attention Reminders and Emergency Procedures, with the report concluding that ‘most of the systems fail multiple safety feature requirements.’”
These systems, while not billed as ‘self-driving,’ use similar technology as autopilot systems. “Seeing how these systems can fail even in controlled testing conditions shows how challenging it is to deploy them safely in more complex urban environments,” Abramson writes.
According to author Peter Norton, self-driving cars perpetuate a historical pattern. “Seeing how these systems can fail even in controlled testing conditions shows how challenging it is to deploy them safely in more complex urban environments.”
FULL STORY: Too Much Trust in Technology Is Dangerous for Drivers (and Everyone Around Them)

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Connecting Communities to Nature Close to Home
Los Angeles County’s Nature in Your Neighborhood program brings free, family-friendly wellness and nature activities to local parks, making it easier for residents to enjoy and connect with the outdoors.

Palmdale’s Beloved Water Park Gets $2 Million Upgrade
To mark its 20th anniversary, DryTown Water Park has undergone major renovations, ensuring that families across the Antelope Valley continue to enjoy safe, affordable, and much-needed water-based recreation in the high desert.

Help Stop the Beetle Killing Southern California’s Oak Trees
Claifornia residents can join a volunteer “blitz” this June to help detect and map infestations of an invasive beetle that is killing thousands of oak trees across Southern California.
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