> "Safety features reduce cognitive load and allow reallocation of limited attention span." no, attention does not magically get more focused on driving by red

> "Safety features reduce cognitive load and allow reallocation of limited attention span." no, attention does not magically get more focused on driving by reducing already low cognitive load. most driving is already routinized, falsely lulling us into an illusory sense of security. humans do not magically get more attentive under routine when invited to be even more comfortable. autopilot is a great example: pilots eat, sleep, drink, read, and chat more, rather than paying more attention to the environment, controls, dials and gauges. this is also why traffic calming techniques that reduce overall danger are about making the ever-present risks more apparent (adding roadside trees, narrowing lanes), rather than the opposite. those so-called "safety" features optimize for the 99% of the time that situations are routine and fine, rather than the 1% of time that they're potentially deadly, because they reduce skill and experience useful in those 1% situations. pilots talk about the same general lack of emergency preparedness induced by autopilot dependence.