Just last week I managed to spin my car off the road (nothing serious, I just took it onto the grass verge) and, while I was travelling sideways looking where I was going out of the drivers side window, I pondered this thread.

First of all, I only had myself to blame. The stereo was up too loud, I was going too fast and having too much fun. I was going round a long corner and knew I was getting close to the limit of grip but thought I had a bit more to spare - I was wrong.

The thing is, though, that this is the first time I've been at fault in a road accident in about 20 years of driving (I've had a few people hit me before but was always clearly the other persons fault). I'm generally a pretty safe driver. But lately, I have to acknowledge, the needle's been creeping up a bit on the motorway, the braking's been getting left a bit later, the corners are being taken a little bit quicker. So why has my driving pattern changed for the worse?

A year ago I bought a new car. It's a Ford Mondeo (you are all invited to mock me mercilessly for my choice in vehicle if you wish) and has safety features up the wazoo. I'm not really aware of them though and I'm pretty sure they're not what's changed my driving pattern. Rather, I think it's the fact that the Mondeo is too damn comfortable. I've general driven smaller cars with few features in the past and this one's a big old boat which feels like I'm driving my living room to work. I may be going faster but I don't feel like I'm going faster. In fact, I feel like I'm cruising along at about 60 when I look at the speedo and realise I'm pushing 80. When I think I'm well below the 30 limit I can glance down and realise I'm doing a toddler smashing 40.

To make cars safer I don't think you to remove safety features (quite the opposite, in fact) but you just need to harden up the suspension, stop smothering the engine noise and leave some air gaps around the doors so you can hear the wind whistling past. If you want people to drive more safely, make them feel like they're driving dangerously, even if they're not. Make it so you feel like your doing 90 when your actually doing 60 and I'm pretty sure we'd all slow down. Of course, the reason I bought a comfy car is that I want a comfy commute and I think a deliberately uncomfortable car would be pretty hard to sell.