Before debating skills vs. equipment, please consider Risk Compensation

[mikemill]

That can be true, but it's a classic example of risk compensation at work. The driver who stays under the speed limit perceives his risk to be lower, and compensates by being less alert. The speeder is more aware of his risk, and thus pays more attention. Both are adjusting their behavior to maximize benefit while keeping risk within their tolerance.

Of course there are people like me who drive the same, relatively straight, section of road every day to the point where even doing 15 over the brain still shuts down the higher thought processes because it is just bored

 

[bfw]

I found that surprising also. Perhaps there was something about the experimental protocol that might have contributed to such results. Perhaps the participants were given classes on the "benefits" of ABS and that specific training may have biased the results.

They were not, but the benefits have been well publicized.

I suspect that most drivers don't even know if their car has ABS nevermind understand what it does and does not do.

If that were true, it would only be available on high end performance cars. Car makers respond to market demand. Do not confuse a detailed technical understanding of HOW ABS does what it does with awareness of WHAT it does in terms of the driving outcome. Illiterate gang members don't understand the chemical reaction of gunpowder, or the physics of rifling, but they know which guns kill best.

 

[bfw]

Of course there are people like me who drive the same, relatively straight, section of road every day to the point where even doing 15 over the brain still shuts down the higher thought processes because it is just bored

Then you need to keep ratcheting up your speed, staying one step (or 5 mph) ahead of complacency!

 

[mikemill]

Then you need to keep ratcheting up your speed, staying one step (or 5 mph) ahead of complacency!

Heh, while that would help in my risk compensation for crashing it doesn't help in my risk compensation for speeding tickets

 

[InTheDrink]

I think this has been an enormously useful thread which deserves fuller examination. I think it's practically impossible to refute the notion of Risk Compensation. Actually it's impossible to refute it if you reduce it. Statistically people as a group will compensate even if certain individuals don't. Statistically I imagine these individuals are likely to be outliers.

How it applies to diving should be instructive. I would like to see more posts on this topic/thread.

I also think it's a very false dichotomy on training/equipment. Both are risk compensators. Rick's post about no. of dives Vs training is also very thought provoking.

Great thread, thanks Reg. Would love to see this thread continued.