[etad putta]

I know the big auto show starts in Detroit this week, and I love to see some of the very cool things that come from there. One thing that always bothers me is why the heck do we keep building cars with 400 horsepower or more? I end up seeing a million commercials showing everybody driving like a crazy person with all the disclaimers scrolling across the screen and it drives me nuts. Driving is the most dangerous thing we do on a daily basis and it needs to be done safer so we can all arrive home at night rather than at the morgue.

[jmshub]

Designing a performance car is an engineering feat. Designing an engine that can reliably deliver that amount of power and also be reliable, as well as the aerodynamics and suspension to allow the car to keep the car stable at speed. So, it is a message to consumers when a brand can deliver a car like that, especially today, when they are using increasingly complex and innovative designs to deliver powerful cars that are also efficient.

Also, there are plenty of legal venues for performance car drivers to drive their cars above the legal limit, such as race tracks that have track days or whatever.

[etad putta]

Good points, however electrics, hybrids, mass transit, self driving cars, Uber, and Lift all seem to be the directions that we are shifting towards. As far as the venues for racing cars goes, it would seem that they are the roads,streets and highways that I drive on a daily basis. NHTSA shows we managed to kill 32,675 people in 2014 and injured 2.3 million more. While safety is better, it would seem that there is room for improvement.

[jmshub]

Safer highways is a important goal, but there are many factors involved in automobile accidents. Weather, driving while distracted, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, etc, are all major causes of accidents. Not to mention that a driver can speed, drive aggressively, cut off other drivers, get road rage, or text and drive just as easily in a Corolla with 140 HP as they can in a 400 HP Mustang.

[etad putta]

And there are laws trying to prevent people from texting, using phones(in some states), and people can be charged for aggressive\careless driving. We don't need cars with 400 hp on the road.

[etad putta]

Or maybe no cars...Here's What Happened When A Neighborhood Decided To Ban Cars For A Month

[etad putta]

Maybe others see it as well...Self-driving cars hog the road at CES | Technology | The Guardian

[jmshub]

Cars that drive themselves, at least part of the time are definitely the future, and the not-too-distant future. However, self driving cars don't currently work off of primary closed access multi-lane highways.

Also, outlawing cars, as your previous link may work in high density urban areas, but I live in a rural area, where there isn't public transportation for my commute, and self driving cars wouldn't currently work on the secondary roads that make up a large part of my drive.

[etad putta]

Actually I don't believe that's true. The self driving cars are being tested pretty much on all roads and highways.