Human error through any stage of a Product / Component life-cycle, could be a causal factor in a mechanical failure - but at the same everything still has a probability of failure which can occur at any time, the manner of which can be entirely predictable or unpredictable!
Look up 'failure in time' analysis.
I completely agree that citation is needed. I was told this by my instructor whilst doing my ROSPA course and took it as gospel, believing that he would know a lot more than me about such things. I very much doubt that any real research has been done into stats like this though.
For me at least, I'm happy enough to believe that the vast majority of cars that crash are down to human error, rather than mechanical failure, even if it's not in the 90%region.
That sort of thinking is what put SkyNet in charge data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
PS:
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812115
The critical reason, which is the last event in the crash causal chain, was assigned to the driver in
94 percent (±2.2%)† of the crashes. In about 2 percent (±0.7%) of the
crashes, the critical reason was assigned to a vehicle component’s
failure or degradation, and in 2 percent (±1.3%) of crashes, it was
attributed to the environment (slick roads, weather, etc.).
That's the same sort of thing my qashqai has done , nothing wrong with the car though .....
Interesting. I’d argue with those statistics that the 2% they attribute to the environment should really be attributed to the driver. If there is bad weather you should drive accordingly, which you often see bad drivers not doing. An accident is not caused by heavy rain, it’s caused by the driver not driving correctly in the conditions.
Needed to slam the brakes on today after some moron decided to overtake two cyclists on the brow of a hill.
I dunno who sh*t their pants more, me? The cyclists? Or the moron driver?
Not sure if a computer system would have been quicker? I think i saved the footage, will check later.
For a good few years now, all the cars I've bought have had EBA - Emergency Brake Assist, where if you suddenly apply the brakes very hard, the system automatically fears the worst and applies maximum braking force. At least, that's how I understand it.
My wife's current car has a first for us, AEB, as well as EBA.
Real world example - driving north on the M40 last Friday there was a Tesla Model S in front of us driving quite impatiently, we thought, in moderately heavy traffic. He suddenly dashed over to lane 1, accelerated up the empty lane like a, er, Tesla Model S, and reappeared several cars ahead back in lane 3. Naughty.
A couple of minutes later the traffic slowed right down, I was already braking fairly hard, and suddenly had to brake with maximum effort. I glanced in my rear view mirror, as you do, to see a hulking great VW SUV swerving into a conveniently vacant space in lane 2, just avoiding crashing into the back of me. I stopped a few feet behind the now stationary car in front of me.
The car in front then slowly moved off, driving partly on lane 3 and partly on the central reservation, to reveal a stationary car straddling lanes 2 and 3. We followed the car in front and my wife turned to look at the stationary car, saying that it was badly smashed in at the front.
Lo and behold, about 50 yards or so ahead, on the hard shoulder, was said Tesla Model S, with what looked to be a slightly damaged back end.
I can only guess at what might have happened, but to get back on topic, I've no idea whether the AEB had kicked in on Mrs's car, whether it was down to EBA, or just my being tuned in to the road and traffic conditions, having driven about 400 miles a day for each of the last three days on our way back from Northern Italy, and being totally concentrated on the job in hand. Might have been my innate driving skill of course data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7.
Just my two penn'orth on the topic data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
You would know if aeb kicked in data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7 and yes you braked heavy (by your admission) and early enough (as aeb didn’t kick in) and nearly had someone in your back. Perhaps that VW suv had its aeb kick in data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
I’m not quite sure about what the penny worth is though.
Thanks for the reassurance - I guess you've experienced it? - serious question data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Only that I braked hard, the ABS didn't kick in (unless the pedal doesn't pulsate these days, maybe, and the hazards didn't come on either) and I stopped in time. So it just makes me wonder what style of driving or type of driver AEB is targeted at.
And on a lighter note - I've never been in an accident - but I've seen plenty data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7.