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The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) announced on April 5th that they hope to make Electronic Stability Control mandatory on all vehicles by 2012, which they predict could save up to 10,000 lives a year.

While I agree that ESC and other driver aides ultimately make vehicles safer, I have to wonder if our reliance on these aides has actually made us worse drivers. I get a sense that many drivers feel their cars will save them from any mistakes they make, leading them to drive faster in unfavorable road conditions or pay less attention while driving.

If we want to make our roads safer, I think we should put more emphasis on the driver, offering better bad weather training or making drivers ed courses more demanding.

Agree? Disagree?  

America just doesn't stress driving dynamics in the first place.  Most people learn how to make emergency maneuvers the hard way in this country. Some times that works but many times it ends in failure. This could save the many who have failed.  I do wonder if it would have saved a friend of mine who lost control of her car in a storm, flipped it over and is now spending the rest of her life in a wheelchair?    

Agreed.

All the electronic gizmos in the world won't help if there's an idiot behind the wheel.

And I'm talking about college educated idiots here.

I'll never forget the guy that stuffed his brand new Toyota Four Runner into a jersey barrier directly across an on ramp on I-95 because he thought he could drive as fast as he wanted too on AN INCH-AN INCH!!!!!!!- of snow!  

I agree 100%. I think it's much more important that every car have side and side curtain airbags. Now that stopping for red lights seems to be a personal choice, everyone needs the protection. I don't need ESC because I don't drive like an idiot. Frankly, I don't think I really need ABS. I live in an area that rarely sees bad weather and I'd rather not have the added repair cost.