home column latest column archive website design contact

Pop Your Bonnet

I read with interest that the new Jaguar sports coupe is to be fitted with a Pyrotechnic Pedestrian Deployable Bonnet System. This basically means that the bonnet automatically pops up when it senses an impact, so as to soften the blow to pedestrians in the event of an accident. All of this happens within 30 milliseconds, using around 50 times the force of gravity and is powered by small explosive charges. In principle this would seem to be a very good idea, as it will help prevent serious head injuries or even save lives, however I am concerned that it represents the beginning of what could be a dangerous trend in the car industry.

If pedestrian-friendly features such as this continue to work their way into car design, how long will it be before the new Ferrari comes with a set of cushions attached to the bonnet, a high-visibility flashing light on the roof, and is only capable of 12mph. I believe cars should be designed and built for the motorist, and anything which isn't beneficial to the driver/occupants should be ditched at the drawing board. I am all for saving lives, but pedestrians need to start taking responsibility for their own actions; otherwise we will all be driving round looking like Noddy.

Pedestrians are already offered substantial protection from cars in the form of the pavement, and if they looked before leaving it there would be considerably fewer accidents on our roads. I am not pretending that bad drivers don't exist, in fact I spend half my life stuck behind taxi drivers, but the truth is pedestrians also cause road accidents. Everyone is taught the green cross code at school, but how many adults actually bother to follow it.

There is rarely a week goes by when a pedestrian doesn't walk out in front of me without looking, and yet I am usually the one who gets a dirty look. Many a time I have been tempted to accelerate full throttle towards the arrogant swine, and yet of course I never do because this would render me a criminal. The law states that cars have right of way on the highway, but it also seems to permit intoxicated vagrants to wander all over it, safe in the knowledge that any resulting accident will be blamed on the driver involved.

If you are unfortunate enough to have somebody walk out in front of your car, you will be expected to make a claim on your insurance, and most likely lose your no claims bonus in the process. You will be treated like a criminal by the Police (until your innocence is proven) and may suffer mental trauma which could ultimately cause you to be afraid of driving again. If the pedestrian is killed you could be the victim of abuse and suffer vandalism to your property, and yet you may still be completely innocent of any wrong-doing. There are systems in place to deal with dangerous drivers, and rightly so, but what about dangerous pedestrians and the problems they create.

New research by the RAC shows that more than a third of adult pedestrians killed on the UK 's roads each year have an alcohol level over the legal limit for driving. The incidence of alcohol among fatally injured adult pedestrians has been increasing in recent years, so not only do we have to put up with pedestrians who don't look before crossing, the chances are they will be too drunk to even realise they are outdoors. I don't begrudge anyone a drunken stumble home from the pub, in fact it can be very therapeutic to get a blast of cold fresh air in the face while singing Danny Boy (out of key), but it should not adversely affect the innocent motorist.

The head of the AA recently said 'There is a tendency to believe that any fatal accident which happens on the road is undoubtedly the fault of the surviving driver'. I think this is a very valid point, and one which highlights the false system of beliefs that we need to eradicate, perhaps by imposing stricter guidelines on pedestrian behaviour at the roadside, and penalising those who break the rules in the same way as disobedient motorists.

There is not much fun to be had being a motorist these days: taxed heavily to use a crumbling road system; robbed by the government every time we need fuel; lobbied by environmentalist geeks every time the weather changes; and relentlessly targeted by the Police for minor speed infringements, it's a wonder we bother. Having said that, I wouldn't swap the open road for a Green Peace badge even if my life depended on it, and the good news is that there is a small consolation on the horizon. When we all have pop-up bonnets fitted to our cars, with a few minor modifications they could be used in a range of interesting ways, such as giving an irritating relative a well-timed face-lift, or launching the neighbour's cat into orbit next time it sits on your paintwork.

© Ben Yates | Contact | My Facebook  | Valid HTML | Valid CSS