The great turn-off: the deadly danger of deactivating vehicle technology

Our Road Safety Authority expert warns: ‘Truth is we’re only fooling ourselves in the long run’

“FOR every rule there’s an exception – and an idiot ready to demonstrate it.”

That pearl of wisdom, which comes from popular fiction writer Vera Nazarian, sadly rings true when it comes to road safety.

What is it about human behaviour that some people always look for the exception instead of accepting the rule?

Especially if that rule was made to keep us all safe in the first place.

No sooner has a law been introduced for public safety than there is someone looking for a way to get around it.

When it comes to road safety, it’s vehicle technology and the rise of the helpful ‘deactivator’.

The advent of modern technology and safety systems in cars, while intended to make vehicles safer, limit human error and support a cleaner environment, has led to a thriving market for these so called ‘helpful’ individuals.

These are the same people who offer to deactivate your airbag light so your car will pass the NCT or remove your diesel particulate filter (DPF) so that you won’t have to replace it when it’s full of soot.

But here’s the thing. That airbag was installed to protect you from serious head injuries in the event of a crash, and that DPF stops the most harmful cancer causing toxic emissions being released into the environment.

Are these deactivators still being helpful, do you think? And we complain about rising insurance costs or respiratory epidemics.

Let’s park the safety element for a moment. What does the law say? Irish road traffic legislation says it’s an offence to drive a vehicle that has been modified to an extent that it no longer complies with the air pollutant emissions standards it was originally designed to meet.

Removal of a DPF will almost certainly contravene these requirements, making the vehicle illegal for road use.

But here comes the catch. The deactivator doesn’t get convicted. You, the driver, do.

So not only has this helpful individual taken your money, they’ve also rendered your vehicle potentially illegal.

It is also an offence to drive a vehicle with a defect that poses a danger to the public.

So deactivating an airbag or overriding a vehicle’s automatic braking system (ABS) could equally result in penalties. For you, that is.

So why do it at all? The answer is simple. Money.

When it boils down to it, many road users just don’t want to have to spend money on servicing or part replacement, or failing an NCT.

So instead of just getting our car fixed and staying safe, we look for ways to go around or cheat the system.

But the truth is we’re only fooling ourselves in the long run because when you hit that patch of ice and the ABS is off, your car is going to skid.

And when you hit that tree and your airbag doesn’t activate, you’re going to suffer head injuries, at minimum. But you saved a few bob. And the latest iPhone is out.

Manufacturers invest massive amounts of time and money in producing safer vehicles. And what do some of us do? Deactivate them. We are so eager to buy the latest phone or Fitbit and yet so quick to cut corners when it comes to vehicle safety.

The introduction of more intelligent transport systems and connected driving is expected to greatly lower human error, estimated to account for up to 90pc of collisions.

But if motorists choose to go down the road of bypassing safety features, we’re back to square one.

All the technology in the world won’t make a difference if we’re not willing to use it properly.

It’s a mindset, really, and Irish motorists need to stop looking for the exception to the rule and instead activate the new world of vehicle safety.