It’s fair to say that driving really has changed over the years. Think back to when we first started bringing cars onto the road, and how different everything is now. We’re now driving in an era where technology is at the forefront of car manufacturing, and the roads are more clogged than they have ever been before. The auto world is exciting, and it is ever changing, but we want to discuss what the new era of driving means for the new generation of drivers. We want to discuss whether moving forward, we’re heading towards better times, or perhaps worse. Because for every positive, there definitely is a negative to driving, and they just can’t be ignored. So, if you want to take a look into the new era of driving, then have a read of the information we have below, and let us know whether you’re excited, or skeptical.
The New Car Era
It’s no secret that cars are progressing towards something great. All you need to do is look back 10 years ago, and you’ll be able to see the evolution of the new car era. All of the sudden, the focus is more about interior design, being aesthetically pleasing, and filled with technology. Sometimes we feel that the true meaning of a car is ignored, and that’s the power that it can perform at. If you go to any car dealership at the minute, you’ll find cars that are absolutely jam packed with technology, some of which is so complex that the older generation struggle to understand it. Sometimes, all people want is simply a car that focuses on getting from A to B, rather than one that can speak to you. But for the complications and the technology overload that cars seem to come with now, we can’t argue that some of the creations are in fact making the cars 10x better. For example, some of the safety features that they now come with thanks to technology is really amazing. This year, we’re seeing cars that can predict collisions before they happen, can tell you if you’re moving into another lane without realising, and can tell you how close you are to the objects around you. Taking into account that driving is one of the most dangerous forms of transport, it’s nice to see that the future generation of cars are coming with so much technology that is designed to protect us.
If you’re looking for power, there are still some manufacturers that are focusing on that, as well as the aesthetics side. Whilst it might be for every line that the launch, there will always be a sport version that’s fine tuned. Now, to have a sports version of a car a few years back would mean it would come with a hefty price tag. Both when purchasing the car, and for the things like insurance and tax. However, whilst the price tag might still be high, the price you’re paying for the extras seems to be dropping. They’re focusing on speed, but at the same time they’re focusing on being environmentally friendly. For example, the Ford Focus 1 litre ecoboost is a model that has 125bhp, but also has 0 road tax because of how efficient the engine is. Due to global warming and new regulations, manufacturers are doing all that they can to reduce emissions. That still doesn’t help the fact that cars are super expensive, but if you go secondhand by just a year, you really will save thousands. You don’t always need to go for a completely brand new car for it to feel completely brand new.
Dangerous Times
We’re definitely heading towards dangerous times with driving, there’s no denying that. Every year, more and more people join the roads, which means the chance of being involved in an accident is on the rise. There are millions of crashes a year, worldwide, a lot of them involving fatalities. Because the thing that people don’t realise, is that things such as speeding, or driving whilst texting, or driving after three pints, is all increasing the risk of a serious collisions. Yet people carry on doing it because they don’t get caught by police, or they think they’re invincible on the roads. The more people that join the roads, the harder it’s going to be to police the incidents that are already running under the radar. Even though cars are being filled with a load of technology that’s designed to keep drivers safe, and the crumple zones of cars are massively improving, it still doesn’t stop the drivers who aren’t driving as they should be. If you want our advice, you should always drive out of peak times where you can help it. Take public transport such as the train to and from work to avoid rush hours, and you’re statistically going to be safer on the roads. Driving really late at night should also be no go. You generally find that that’s when all of the drunk drivers are riding around!
New Learners
New learners are the future of our roads, and the way in which they’re being taught is constantly changing. Driving theory tests and practical tests are being updated to fall in line with regulations, but this doesn’t mean it’s making learning to drive easier. In fact, driving lessons are now notoriously hard compared to what they would have been ten years ago, because there’s just so many points that they have to meet to pass the test. It doesn’t help that the roads are just so clogged now, so trying to learn with so much traffic and poor driving around really is hard. But the focus is more about knowing how to control the car, and what to do in difficult situations.
Manufacturing Race
The manufacturing race is definitely on, and it’s leading to some of the coolest creations we’ve ever seen. It’s one of the reasons why the technology on a car is now so advanced, and the prices just seem to keep rising. It’s also one of the reasons why regulations are being ignored, such as when Volkswagen tampered with their emission results. If the manufacturing race is going to continue, we want to see more of a focus on safety!
