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Contact: Emil Venere
venere@purdue.edu
765-494-4709
Purdue University
Caption: Fred Mannering, a Purdue professor of civil engineering, stands by his 1969 MG sports car and a newer vehicle. Mannering co-authored a recent research paper detailing findings that show modern safety features, such as airbags and antilock braking systems, do not increase the likelihood of reducing accidents or injuries. The reason is because of a phenomenon called the offset hypothesis, which predicts that consumers adapt to innovations meant to improve safety by driving more aggressively and becoming less vigilant about safety. Mannering says the contrast is dramatic when driving older cars lacking safety features and newer vehicles equipped with those features.
Credit: Purdue News Service photo/David Umberger
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Related news release: Study: Airbags, antilock brakes not likely to reduce accidents, injuries
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