When cars were invented, horses were replaced by engines, saddles were replaced by seats, and reins were replaced by a steering wheel and foot pedals. There were no seat belts, safety bumpers, anti-lock brakes or other safety equipment. Windshields were optional. The Model T had a top speed of 40-45 miles per hour, which, considering the lack of safety equipment, was pretty fast.

That was more than one hundred years ago. Technology has progressed through the years, from seat belts to safety bumpers, to anti-lock brakes, airbags, and a host of other safety features. More recent innovations include forward collision warning and lane departure assist, among others. Even though vehicles today have so many safety features, there are still more than 38,000 vehicle-related fatalities on American roads every year. The number of injuries where medical attention is sought is roughly 4.8 million.

The cause of most accidents is human error; distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving, and reckless driving are the top four causes of accidents. If we could eliminate these and other driver-related factors, the number of accidents would drop significantly. The question is, of course, how to improve driving skills or better yet, take the driver out of the equation.