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Cars are getting smarter and more autonomous, but they still need the driver to take over when things get tricky and unpredictable. But what if you are texting or napping at the wheel? How does the car get your attention in an emergency and will your reaction time be fast enough to cope? This is what Dr Anuj Pradhan, at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, or UMTRI, near Detroit, is looking at with his incredibly realistic driving simulator, a full sized car in a room of high definition screens – he took Jack Stewart out for a spin.

(Photo caption: The driving simulator at the Transportation Research Institute, University of Michigan © Jack Stewart)