If the car industry were like the airline industry...
Discussion
I was reading something about the origins of the airline industry recently and how, in order to get people to fly in large numbers, they recognised passengers must have confidence in the whole system. You must feel the planes are safe, the pilots are trained and there are numerous backup and safety systems throughout.
The airline industry itself has been very effective at implementing measures to prevent problems happening repeatedly and, as a result, flying is a very safe way to travel.
Here's my hypothetical question to ponder:
If the car industry had taken the same approach from the beginning, where every serious car accident was studied and measures put in place to prevent it happening again, what would cars and driving be like today?
My guess:
- Far fewer people would have licences so car usage would be more like taxis
- Autonomous cars would now be prevalent
- Speed limits would be lower, especially on A-roads
- Most roads would be dual-carriageways
- Some corners would have run-offs or gravel traps like race tracks
- Cars would not be allowed in cities; cyclists would not be allowed outside them
What do you think?
The airline industry itself has been very effective at implementing measures to prevent problems happening repeatedly and, as a result, flying is a very safe way to travel.
Here's my hypothetical question to ponder:
If the car industry had taken the same approach from the beginning, where every serious car accident was studied and measures put in place to prevent it happening again, what would cars and driving be like today?
My guess:
- Far fewer people would have licences so car usage would be more like taxis
- Autonomous cars would now be prevalent
- Speed limits would be lower, especially on A-roads
- Most roads would be dual-carriageways
- Some corners would have run-offs or gravel traps like race tracks
- Cars would not be allowed in cities; cyclists would not be allowed outside them
What do you think?
You'd be all packed up to go on holiday somewhere beachified, hot and sunny. You'd hand your bags at the door to the luggage handlers who would then pack your car. On arrival at your destination you'd find a set of cases that weren't yours, but from someone on the next street who were planning a hill walking holiday in Scotland, meanwhile your luggage would be with some crew from the council flats in a caravan in Cleethorpes.
Something like that?
Something like that?
durbster said:
I was reading something about the origins of the airline industry recently and how, in order to get people to fly in large numbers, they recognised passengers must have confidence in the whole system. You must feel the planes are safe, the pilots are trained and there are numerous backup and safety systems throughout.
The airline industry itself has been very effective at implementing measures to prevent problems happening repeatedly and, as a result, flying is a very safe way to travel.
Here's my hypothetical question to ponder:
If the car industry had taken the same approach from the beginning, where every serious car accident was studied and measures put in place to prevent it happening again, what would cars and driving be like today?
My guess:
- Far fewer people would have licences so car usage would be more like taxis
- Autonomous cars would now be prevalent
- Speed limits would be lower, especially on A-roads
- Most roads would be dual-carriageways
- Some corners would have run-offs or gravel traps like race tracks
- Cars would not be allowed in cities; cyclists would not be allowed outside them
What do you think?
The car industry and airplane industry are very, very similar in terms of FMEAs.The airline industry itself has been very effective at implementing measures to prevent problems happening repeatedly and, as a result, flying is a very safe way to travel.
Here's my hypothetical question to ponder:
If the car industry had taken the same approach from the beginning, where every serious car accident was studied and measures put in place to prevent it happening again, what would cars and driving be like today?
My guess:
- Far fewer people would have licences so car usage would be more like taxis
- Autonomous cars would now be prevalent
- Speed limits would be lower, especially on A-roads
- Most roads would be dual-carriageways
- Some corners would have run-offs or gravel traps like race tracks
- Cars would not be allowed in cities; cyclists would not be allowed outside them
What do you think?
You are talking about infrastructure. Different kettle of fish.
Pica-Pica said:
The car industry and airplane industry are very, very similar in terms of FMEAs.
They are? Why were so many Vauxhalls setting themselves on fire the other year? Ford Pinto's had a appalling safety record which Ford refused to recognise, let alone fix. There are numerous models with known failure points; some are fixed under warranty, many are not.
Maybe internally the failure models are similar, but publicly do the car industry do anywhere near as much to look after their products and admit problems?
Most cars are littered with all kinds of stuff, considering the Airlines bleef you dry for anything you wish to transport but the bare minimum I think it would mean that cars would look far more tidy if similar rules for brining in too much stuff would be implemented.
Ps I like the ridiculous exercise of comparing two totally incompatible business models. Trains could be compared, but cars is streching the imagination quite a bit.
Ps I like the ridiculous exercise of comparing two totally incompatible business models. Trains could be compared, but cars is streching the imagination quite a bit.
Condi said:
Pica-Pica said:
The car industry and airplane industry are very, very similar in terms of FMEAs.
They are? Why were so many Vauxhalls setting themselves on fire the other year? Ford Pinto's had a appalling safety record which Ford refused to recognise, let alone fix. There are numerous models with known failure points; some are fixed under warranty, many are not.
Maybe internally the failure models are similar, but publicly do the car industry do anywhere near as much to look after their products and admit problems?
Condi said:
They are?
Why were so many Vauxhalls setting themselves on fire the other year? Ford Pinto's had a appalling safety record which Ford refused to recognise, let alone fix. There are numerous models with known failure points; some are fixed under warranty, many are not.
Maybe internally the failure models are similar, but publicly do the car industry do anywhere near as much to look after their products and admit problems?
Plenty of aircraft have issues too, 737 MAX for example is not doing Boeing any favours right now. Quality issues on the Rolls Trent 900 engine caused a bit of a mess of an A380 not so many years ago. CFM engines had a habit of chucking fan blades http://www.b737.org.uk/incident_n772sw.htmWhy were so many Vauxhalls setting themselves on fire the other year? Ford Pinto's had a appalling safety record which Ford refused to recognise, let alone fix. There are numerous models with known failure points; some are fixed under warranty, many are not.
Maybe internally the failure models are similar, but publicly do the car industry do anywhere near as much to look after their products and admit problems?
Early 90s there were several instances of severe loss of rudder control on 737s. Eventually it was found that a hydraulic actuator could start working in reverse in some scenarios, the fault caused two crashes and over 150 deaths.
United Airlines flight 811 experienced an explosive decompression whilst in air, caused by the cargo door opening during flight because the locking mechanism didn't do its job. Although 9 died, amazingly the pilot managed to land the aircraft.
These are only the severe cases of failure - if you take a look around there are plenty of niggles and persistent issues that affect aircraft and their engines. At the end of the day, they are machines and just like a car, sometimes they don't work properly or are put in untenable scenarios.
With all that said, if a car was built to aircraft standards it'd be incredibly expensive, certification of parts alone costs a small fortune, even if they are simple - fixing screws and the like for example.
Countdown said:
Condi said:
Pica-Pica said:
The car industry and airplane industry are very, very similar in terms of FMEAs.
They are? Why were so many Vauxhalls setting themselves on fire the other year? Ford Pinto's had a appalling safety record which Ford refused to recognise, let alone fix. There are numerous models with known failure points; some are fixed under warranty, many are not.
Maybe internally the failure models are similar, but publicly do the car industry do anywhere near as much to look after their products and admit problems?
(by plane crash I mean an all lives lost jet or similar. I know there are minor plane crashes on a regular basis, with no loss of life).
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