Driver aids.

[au350hp]

Auto manufacturers are building in so much technology into cars and there is a belief that other things can be done whilst driving in these ''time poor lives'' we all lead (apparently). In my opinion, I reckon just about every one of these driver aids makes us worse drivers. Don't get me wrong, I reckon power steering, LSD's & ABS are wonderful things but if your driving correctly and paying attention to those around you, there is no need for them. Generally, when any alarm sounds, they cause chaos. Also, many of these crash avoiding technologies, airbags go off at low speeds, interior lights go on, engines are shut down rendering power assisted options like steering & brakes virtually useless. I also understand these things can assist inexperienced drivers, but if we educated people with a proper advanced driving based test and a true real life hazard perception test, then perhaps their would be no need for them. Generally, too many bells & whistles tend to distract more than assist. Anybody remember graphic equaliser's

[DJR-351]

https://youtu.be/ZfAobT5F3qg

[mwb235]

Ooooh Graphic Equalizer. Mine had 10 bands!

[au350hp]

Originally Posted by mwb235

Ooooh Graphic Equalizer. Mine had 10 bands!

You beat me. I only had seven.

[Uncle_Ken]

I've had my drivers aid for over 35 years now, works in every car I have owned.
Most days she doesn't mind my driving.
UK
And no I havent upgraded at any point.

[.:4:.]

Things like abs and traction control don't take control away from the driver so drivers don't get lazy. It's lane departure and blindspot monitors that make people lazy when they rely on the car to tell them to pay attention. A number of months ago I pulled out of my street and gassed it up the hill in the wifes car leaving an audi q5 well behind. Naturally old mate in the audi decided it was a good idea to attempt to rage and at the roundabout I slowed for came flying up behind me untill his fancy crash avoidance system stopped him in his tracks almost causing him to nearly get rear ended. One of the apprentices at work backed a van into a pole because that van had a camera and he had been driving mine for a while that had sensors and wondered why it didn't beep. Back in the day playing with the equaliser in my brothers car when driving wasn't distracting at all. It was in the glove box. ..

[XR6WGN]

I so agree with everything you guys are saying. I'd even go as far to say that they should not be used to learn to drive with.

Do away with teaching people to drive using the family car for maybe the first dozen lessons - take a basic MANUAL car with a competent instructor to teach the basics - then maybe introduce some aids - self park should be completely banned as far as I'm concerned!!

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by XR6WGN

I so agree with everything you guys are saying. I'd even go as far to say that they should not be used to learn to drive with.

Do away with teaching people to drive using the family car for maybe the first dozen lessons - take a basic MANUAL car with a competent instructor to teach the basics - then maybe introduce some aids - self park should be completely banned as far as I'm concerned!!

Yep. It's rediculous that auto reverse parallel park is allowed in the p plate test. I doubt I'd still have my ute by the time my 8 year old son does his driving test, but it's the perfect car. 6 speed manual, no reversing sensors or aids, abs brakes and 6 airbags if the worst happens (it's a single cab) and dsc kicks in late. Forward eye sight crash protection is controlled by paying attention to the 2 tonnes of car you are driving.

[Express]

The key word is aids, they are there to assist not control.

If as a driver you can't understand that principal then you are probably not good enough to drive with or without them.

Advancements in safety should be embraced and driver's should be schooled in why they're there, I know if I was to get into serious trouble or have a serious accident I'd rather be behind the wheel of my Merc and not my XY.



.

[ebv8]

my brothers ranger steered him into an oncoming truck, he was driving a country road the truck swerved into his lane, he swerved to the verge and the lane departure sensed it and turned him back into the path of the truck, lucky the truck corrected before there was a head on.
so first thing he does now is turn all that bullcrap off
i'm all for lights and buzzers but not self steering

[au350hp]

Originally Posted by ebv8

my brothers ranger steered him into an oncoming truck, he was driving a country road the truck swerved into his lane, he swerved to the verge and the lane departure sensed it and turned him back into the path of the truck, lucky the truck corrected before there was a head on.
so first thing he does now is turn all that bullcrap off
i'm all for lights and buzzers but not self steering

I read a story in a Just Cars mag of a bloke in a Discovery 3 Land Rover who hit a Roo at night, country road, doing the limit. The Land Rover drove over the Roo, knocking it off the road and the driver kept control. Then the cars early accident detection system took over, deploying a bunch of airbags, hazard & interior lights go on and with the combo of airbags & the dust, the driver cant see out, and to top it off, the motor shuts down rendering power brakes & steering useless. The article goes on to say these systems aren't tested in all the situations we come across in Australia like country roads and all the various surfaces etc. Back in the 80's, Bosch had to recall the first ABS cars here because driving on poor roads played havoc with them .

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by ebv8

my brothers ranger steered him into an oncoming truck, he was driving a country road the truck swerved into his lane, he swerved to the verge and the lane departure sensed it and turned him back into the path of the truck, lucky the truck corrected before there was a head on.
so first thing he does now is turn all that bullcrap off
i'm all for lights and buzzers but not self steering

Cars can now override the drivers steering put & steer them elsewhere? I had no idea cars could do that. And yes, that is very very dangerous & should never be on cars..

[Streets]

There is a Nissan commercial on TV at the moment that advertises adaptive cruise control on one of their cars, and the voice over says: "Worry less about what's going on around you with adaptive cruise control". This attitude scares the **** out of me. What are they thinking?! Driver aids are not so you can turn your brain off.

[LG17]

An older female friend has just upgraded to a new Honda CRV.
She feels much safer knowing that her car will "fix her mistakes."
Unfortunately my wife and I don't, therefore we are only in her car if there is absolutely no other choice...

[Burnout]

These so called drivers aids, lane departure control, adaptive cruise and that ilk are just the manufacturers experimenting with the early autonomous systems they reckon we all need.
There are 5 levels of the autonomous car systems.
We are not at level one yet.

[tranquilized]

I'm all for them, but they can definitely go too far.

DSC, or ESC or what ever you wanna call it would have to be the most important and effective safety feature ever invented. Most people don't understand what it is or what it does so it's not like it affects their driving style. I bet it's saved a lot of drivers without them ever realising it.

I really want radar cruise in my next car, would make freeway driving a lot less frustrating.

Would prefer my car wasn't able to steer itself though.

[Franco Cozzo]

I got driver AIDS when I bought my Holden

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

I got driver AIDS when I bought my Holden

What? A friend for life that will eventually kill you?
I said it before but things that don't take control away from the driver I'm all for. Both my parents cars will self steer as part of the lane keeping feature. Yeah you can fight against it but if it kicks in for a reason you obviously aren't paying attention. I like having dsc in my company vehicle because I carry varying loads in the back and for insurance reasons it has to use LT tyres that are typically horrible in the wet. My old company vehicle didn't have dsc and while you can tell when the rear was going to start to slide in the wet and I know how to counter, it's nice knowing the car isn't actively trying to kill me. I still have control of the steering and brakes and accelerator so unless I'm doing something stupid if I hit a pole with dsc on there's a high chance I was aiming for it. Even if that was the case my current work car has airbags that my last one didn't so whilst the car will die it atleast has the courtesy to try not to kill me.

[FG50T]

I was driving mid sweeping bend. Roadworks bollards put up along the dividing lane. My car sensed it as a pedestrian, slammed on the brakes and just about caused a pile up behind me

[roKWiz]

If this trend continues I'm going to be joining a public transport forum.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Roostercam

Auto manufacturers are building in so much technology into cars

They build cars according to focus groups, like many other major industries. however focus groups rarely translate to real world sales. Focus groups say they want more technology and gizmos, but then go and buy a cheap featureless shotbox.

[au350hp]

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

They build cars according to focus groups, like many other major industries. however focus groups rarely translate to real world sales. Focus groups say they want more technology and gizmos, but then go and buy a cheap featureless shotbox.

I don't quite understand the focus group thing, but if the obvious connection between these bloody smart phones and the average centre console these days has anything to do with it, then I reckon your on to something.

[Hawkeye84]

Originally Posted by Roostercam

Auto manufacturers are building in so much technology into cars and there is a belief that other things can be done whilst driving in these ''time poor lives'' we all lead (apparently). In my opinion, I reckon just about every one of these driver aids makes us worse drivers. Don't get me wrong, I reckon power steering, LSD's & ABS are wonderful things but if your driving correctly and paying attention to those around you, there is no need for them. Generally, when any alarm sounds, they cause chaos. Also, many of these crash avoiding technologies, airbags go off at low speeds, interior lights go on, engines are shut down rendering power assisted options like steering & brakes virtually useless. I also understand these things can assist inexperienced drivers, but if we educated people with a proper advanced driving based test and a true real life hazard perception test, then perhaps their would be no need for them. Generally, too many bells & whistles tend to distract more than assist. Anybody remember graphic equaliser's

WRONG

http://www.caradvice.com.au/591434/s...onnected-tech/

"In my opinion" just doesnt cut it

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye84

WRONG

http://www.caradvice.com.au/591434/s...onnected-tech/

"In my opinion" just doesnt cut it

Road trauma could be “significantly reduced” by widespread adoption of the latest active safety and connected features.

COULD!

Unless the definition of the word could has changed since I read the dictionary last, i'd say the jury is out.

[prydey]

I might set up a tin foil hat stand just outside this thread. I'll do a roaring trade by the looks...

Quoting the experience of a couple of people doesn't make technology in cars bad.
If a person thinks the technology means they can do their make up and check face book instead of driving, that's not the fault of the technology.
The very fact that cars are controlled by humans means technology is an absolute necessity.
What scares me more is the folks who say they don't need it because they are superior to the computer...

[solarite_guy]

Originally Posted by prydey

What scares me more is the folks who say they don't need it because they are superior to the computer...

No doubt computer hash through algorithms much faster than any human. However, I have yet to see the perfect computer algorithm and I have been in the software industry since the 70s.

In fact on my last contracts, involving National and State Security and Public Safety, very critical final decisions are determined by trained and experienced Subject Matter Experts.

Even the simple automation built into todays onboard safety systems have serious flaws that you won't see advertised on tv. There is a long way to go before we can put complete confidence in these systems.

I don't want to be a guinea pig while the bugs are worked out. Anyone in the software industry can tell you the end user winds up conducting the so called final phase of testing, which is really a never ending iterative circular process.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by solarite_guy

No doubt computer hash through algorithms much faster than any human. However, I have yet to see the perfect computer algorithm and I have been in the software industry since the 70s.

In fact on my last contracts, involving National and State Security and Public Safety, very critical final decisions are determined by trained and experienced Subject Matter Experts.

Even the simple automation built into todays onboard safety systems have serious flaws that you won't see advertised on tv. There is a long way to go before we can put complete confidence in these systems.

I don't want to be a guinea pig while the bugs are worked out. Anyone in the software industry can tell you the end user winds up conducting the so called final phase of testing, which is really a never ending iterative circular process.

Of course, but let's not throw the baby out with the bath water!

[Hawkeye84]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Road trauma could be “significantly reduced” by widespread adoption of the latest active safety and connected features.

COULD!

Unless the definition of the word could has changed since I read the dictionary last, i'd say the jury is out.

Ok no worries. But id prefer to believe people who have done a study rather than a bloke who did science in year 10, waving around a dictionary, arguing about semantics. Even if they use the word "could".

We'll agree to disagree.

[LG17]

The lane departure ad on tv at the moment (Hyundai?) shows just how stupid these things can be. There's so much noise and panic that it's just another noise.

[solarite_guy]

Originally Posted by LG17

The lane departure ad on tv at the moment (Hyundai?) shows just how stupid these things can be. There's so much noise and panic that it's just another noise.

We go through these learning exercises from time to time where someone figures out how to make some new blinking, buzzing, beeping shiny things. The big wigs are amazed and approve a mandate to implement as soon as possible without thought of how to do it safely, surely and correctly. Just deliver it be a certain date.