Auto safety engineers are working under the premise that if cars are making calculated decisions about an impending collision, accident rates will go down. By taking humans' emotional reactions (or lack thereof) out of the equation, engineers may be closing in on a death-proof car.

<p>In the 2007 Quentin Tarantino movie "Death Proof," a maniacal driver named Stuntman Mike boasts that his 1970 Chevrolet Nova is exactly what the film's title suggests: It's death-proof. In the hands of a safety-conscious driver, this would be a good thing. But Stuntman Mike isn't all that concerned with safety -- not his passengers' or any hapless people who cross his path</p>

In the 2007 Quentin Tarantino movie "Death Proof," a maniacal driver named Stuntman Mike boasts that his 1970 Chevrolet Nova is exactly what the film's title suggests: It's death-proof. In the hands of a safety-conscious driver, this would be a good thing. But Stuntman Mike isn't all that concerned with safety -- not his passengers' or any hapless people who cross his path