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Americans Place Higher Value on Convenience Features Than on Safety Technology
WARWICK, R.I.—Has modern technology made our roadways safer? The
majority of Americans believe cars are
safer today than they were 10 years ago
but feel that technological innovations
have failed to make people safer drivers.
In fact, according to the new MetLife
Auto & Home American Safety Pulse
Poll, fully 85% of Americans believe
cars are safer today, but just 29% think
technology innovations have translated into making people safer drivers,
and nearly two-thirds (63%) of Americans believe that today’s drivers rely
too heavily on technology features to
operate their vehicles.
The survey also suggests that many
people are not necessarily making wise
decisions when it comes to evaluating
the importance of different technology features, with Americans favoring
increased convenience over driver and
passenger safety. To voice your opinion, join the conversation on MetLife’s
Facebook page.
“Auto manufacturers have made sig-
nificant strides with regard to safe-
ty innovations over the past 10 years
— but the ultimate safety feature is
an alert and prepared driver,” said Bill
Moore, president of MetLife Auto &
Home. “Technology advancements
have greatly improved the comfort
and safety of cars, but overreliance on
these features can be dangerous – driv-
ers need to remember that it’s still up
to them to operate their vehicles in a
safe and responsible manner.”
Too Distracted by Gadgets?
Although Americans clearly care about
safety, the results of the survey suggest
that respondents display a significantly higher level of familiarity with con-venience-oriented features than with
those devoted to car safety.
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or somewhat familiar with GPS devices, which can make it easier to
find your destination but can take
your attention off the road.
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very or somewhat familiar with
Bluetooth-style accessories, which
can make taking calls in your car
easier, but the conversation can still
be just as distracting.
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they were very or somewhat familiar with in-car social networking,
only recently released in certain car
models– a number that increased
to 40% among younger Americans
(aged 18-34).
Clueless on Safety Features
In contrast, when asked about their
familiarity with more safety-oriented
features — some of which have been
available for several years — consis-
tently fewer than half reported that
they were very or somewhat familiar
with various technologies.
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dents were very or somewhat familiar with electronic stability control,
one of the most significant safety advancements in recent years,
which helps improve steering and
prevent rollover accidents. Almost
continued on page 15
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by Todd Sorrel
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