In this era of rapid technological change, our lives are inseparable from a variety of smart devices. Among them, the navigation system is undoubtedly our right-hand man, which allows us to no longer get lost in unfamiliar cities, and allows us to drive safely and smoothly on busy highways. On January 21, 2024, on the Hangzhou-Changzhou Expressway in the Anji section of Zhejiang Province, a traffic accident caused by over-reliance on navigation sounded the alarm bell for us.
On that day, when Ms. Hu was driving in the fast lane, she saw that she had missed the ramp, and she suddenly slammed to the right to change lanes in the direction of the compacting line in an attempt to enter the ramp. Due to the high speed and insufficient steering distance, her car crashed directly into the collision avoidance device at the shunt nose. Facing the traffic police, Ms. Hu's explanation made people laugh and cry: "At that time, it was the navigation that asked me to go there, I just listened to the navigation and let me go, and I passed." "This incident is not only impressive, but it turns out that our dependence on navigation has reached such a point.
Navigation is not a panacea. Although the current navigation system has been very intelligent, can provide us with real-time traffic information, congestion, etc., but it is still a machine, its judgment and decision-making are based on big data and algorithms, and human judgment and decision-making are based on experience and intuition. What should we do when the advice given by navigation is contrary to our experience and intuition?
In this accident, Ms. Hu chose to follow the advice of navigation, ignoring her own driving experience and intuition. She didn't plan her route in advance, didn't know the entrances and exits of the highway along the way, the service areas she needed to enter, and didn't pay attention to the navigation tips and pay attention to the road signs. These are all reasons that led her to make bad decisions.
So, what can we do to avoid similar accidents when we drive at high speeds and long distances?
Before departure, we can use the navigation system to plan the route in advance, and know the entrances and exits of the highway along the way, the service areas that need to be entered, and other information. In this way, we don't make the wrong decision because of a last-minute change of route while driving.
We should pay attention to the navigation tips and pay attention to the road signs. When the navigation prompts us that we need to change the driving route, we should listen carefully and make a judgment based on the actual situation. We also need to keep an eye on the road signs to make sure we are driving in the right direction.
When we are about to reach the exit or service area, we should change lanes to the right lane at least 1 km in advance. This ensures that we have enough time to change lanes and avoid accidents caused by excessive speed or insufficient steering distance.
Navigation is just a tool that helps us drive better on the road, not a substitute for our driving experience and intuition. When we use navigation, we must keep a clear head and not blindly follow the advice of navigation. Only in this way can we enjoy the convenience brought by technology and ensure our driving safety.
Ms. Hu's story is a profound cautionary tale. We can't rely too much on navigation, and we can't ignore our own driving experience and intuition because we listen to navigation. We need to use navigation reasonably, but also improve our driving skills and safety awareness, so as to ensure our driving safety.
In this era of rapid development of science and technology, we must look at the development of science and technology rationally, not only make full use of the convenience brought by science and technology, but also pay attention to preventing the risks that science and technology may bring.