Modern cars are designed to be "isolation chambers," filtering out the noise of the wind and the vibration of the road. While this increases comfort, it decreases "situational awareness." A driver who cannot hear the engine or feel the texture of the pavement through the steering wheel is a driver who is disconnected from the physics of their movement.
Driving is a multi-sensory task. The smell of hot brakes, the slight pull of the wheel during a crosswind, and the peripheral flicker of a pedestrian’s movement are all data points. As we add more sound-dampening materials and electric steering, we must be careful not to "numb" the driver into a state of complacency. True safety comes from being fully present in the machine not just in the driver's seat.
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