this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2025
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People should be doing the same stuff that they're always supposed to do while driving, but they don't usually have the attention for.
You know, like watch the road carefully for potholes or objects. Pay attention to the way other people drive so that you can better predict what they're going to do. Scan up the road for problems that might crop up.
There's actually a lot to actively do as a driver even beyond the basics.
Just to for the record, if your car can’t avoid a pothole, you shouldn’t be calling it any kind of self driving.
I’ll leave the attachment to logicbomb. Humans tune out unless they’re fully engaged. We’re easily distracted, even if our heads are up and eyes open.
And chances are, they weren’t. Because “full self driving” is marketed specifically as… you know… full self driving…
As I said, all studies I could find show that's not how the human brain works. For almost everyone it's easier to focus on the road when they actively have to drive. And this is not even exclusive to self driving vehicles, there are plenty of accidents on monotonous roads because drivers lose attention when they don't actively need to do anything for long periods.
When it comes to driving, the human brain works however it is trained to work. I know from personal experience.
I used to get highway hypnosis, too, before I trained myself to drive with constant vigilance. Driving is a complex skill that takes years of intentional training to master, yet most people stop trying to improve the moment they get their license. It's no wonder that virtually every person on the road is terrible at driving.