Recently there was a
podcast and article from Freakonomics which mentioned the
Peltzman Effect, which suggests that when people have equipment that makes their activity safer, they tend to compensate by using it in a less safe manner. Examples were given, that football players tend to hit and tackle much harder when they have better helmets. I have noticed that the typical speeds of vehicles on Interstate highways have crept up over the years, as people feel safer because of all the safety features in their cars.
I started to wonder if the
Tesla's stellar safety ratings have this effect. Also, the Tesla's low center of gravity and tight handling give it the feel of a sports car, even though it is a heavy, full-size sedan.
- If you have a Tesla, do you find that you tend to drive it more aggressively that other cars you have owned?
- Have you gotten more tickets for speeding or other aggressive driving than in other cars?
With a little research, it should be possible to find out if the number of tickets per vehicle with Tesla varies significantly from the average, or at least from ICE cars.
I know in my own case (with a LEAF), I found the car to be so quiet that I have to drive with one eye glued to the speedometer, because I have less speed cues than with ICE cars; I put a radar detector in, because constantly watching the speedometer is a distraction in itself. Is this a cautionary note with EVs in general?
Please discuss.