IOver the past few days, several videos have surfaced on social media platforms showing some ‘affected persons’ driving vehicles fitted with advanced driver assistance systems or ADAS. In these videos, he can be seen driving a car to caress Or relax in the passenger seat.
ADAS was not meant to do this.
As I wrote in the previous dashboard column, ADAS is only an ‘assistant’, not a substitute for the driver. But now it seems there are a lot of people who are encouraging dangerous driving.
At the outset, I want to make it clear that I believe social media has been extremely useful. It has democratized the feedback system and allowed amazing new talent to emerge. And this is not just limited to motor vehicles, but in every aspect of content. YouTube has really become the television of today with more options than ever before. Twitter is the public square, today is the newspaper and Instagram is the fashion magazine. But the advent of social media has also meant that there are stunt performers who not only endanger themselves but also the lives and limbs of others, especially children.
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dangerous and deadly
The recent arrest of a popular YouTuber, Rajkumar DixitThe commotion during the shooting of content on the streets on his birthday in Delhi is welcome. In the video, Prince and his friends can be seen driving dangerously with several co-passengers standing out from the sunroof. This is not unusual in India. Even parents act irresponsibly, leaving their child standing out of the sunroof. Please don’t lean against the sunroof in the wind, it’s dangerous. You are not safe in a car as proved by two tragic cases a few years ago in Delhi – Two children lost their lives as their necks were severed for standing out of the sunroof minus By Chinese manja (Glass edged kite string).
It’s when I see videos of children exposed through the sunroof that I think, as a parent of a child who always sits in his car seat, the authorities requires action. Yes, I get upset with parents who don’t put their kids in child restraint systems (CRS). But what about those who make their child sit on their lap while driving? That’s child crisis, plain and simple. I hope people doing such stunts realize that if their vehicle has a driver airbag and it deploys even in slow speed accidents, it can kill both the child and the driver. It’s worth reminding people that child safety ratings on cars only apply if the infant or toddler is safe in the CRS.
But the videos showing the car driving itself, misusing ADAS, are truly shocking. ADAS is becoming more common, from the Honda City facelift to the upcoming next-gen Hyundai Verna. It is imperative that car manufacturers ensure that ADAS only works when there is some pressure on the steering wheel.
I experienced ADAS for the first time a few years ago while driving a BMW 3-Series and Volvo XC40 in Europe. After 15-20 seconds of little or no pressure on the steering wheel while the car was moving, a loud alarm will sound. Maybe Mahindra, whose cars have been featured in several videos related to these ADAS, may consider foraying into India. Other car makers may also start.
When social media users commit self-crime by posting videos of dangerous driving, which can also happen at high speeds on crowded roads, action should be taken. This, as I wrote earlier, should be done urgently by the authorities when it comes to children. At the same time, even social media companies cannot escape some blame. In some cases, they have actively promoted users who perform such stunts on the streets using their algorithms.
The Narendra Modi government has shown speed in removing channels spreading misinformation on social media. They should now seriously consider cracking down on content promoting speedy driving on social media.
@kushanmitra is an automotive journalist based in New Delhi. Thoughts are personal.
(Editing by Anurag Choubey)