Car (or bike) Chat!

[struth]

well off buttons as in being able to switch off certain "aids" in car. mostly you can if you wish, certainly in mine switch most off, or set sensitivity etc (for invasive aids) like steering you back into lane etc. but one day they may remove this; in fact they probably will(fascist bassas)

[Marco]

well off buttons as in being able to switch off certain "aids" in car. mostly you can if you wish, certainly in mine switch most off, or set sensitivity etc (for invasive aids) like steering you back into lane etc. but one day they may remove this; in fact they probably will(fascist bassas)

Exactly my point mate, which is why I refuse to entertain it. If there was no other option, I'd rather cycle, or walk!!

Marco.

[CageyH]

That for me sounds like an utter nightmare, totally dangerous, and would result in the car being sold on the spot! It's essentially the car driving YOU, not vice versa, as it should be, and a classic overuse of technology that not only encourages laziness, but the solving of a problem that doesn't really exist.

Switching it off is easy, just like switching of a classic cruise control. Put your foot on the brake, or turn it off at the switch.
It is awesome in traffic jams. You set the distance, and the car does the rest.

Just leave it off on country roads…

[Marco]

Switching it off may be easy now mate, but not if that facility is ever removed, for reasons discussed. How often are you in traffic jams where you live? I thought you were fairly rural, no? I'm rarely in traffic jams or on motorways, so hardly ever use cruise control.

Anyway, I'm pleased that you're enjoying your car, Kevin, as that's what it's all about, and long may it provide you with enjoyment, but electric cars replete with all manner of 'driver aids' aren't for me. I'm not even a fan of automatic gearboxes. If I'd had the choice, I'd have chosen a manual one!

In a car, I like to do as much of the driving as possible (including parking and reversing) and be totally 'hands on', as otherwise it simply encourages laziness and erodes your inherent skills and judgement (as they say, if you don't use it, you lose it), and takes all the fun out of the experience.

These days, I don't drive many miles, so when I do, I want to be *actively* in control and immersed in the experience

Marco.

[Beobloke]

Reminds me of my first experience of adaptive cruise control a couple of years back.

I went to Germany for the day to see a work supplier, who were about an hour from Frankfurt Airport, and my hire car was a brand new Ford Kuga. Quite a nice thing actually and I pottered off to the supplier and then was returning in the evening during rush hour. I used the cruise control as it was pretty much a straight stretch of autobahn - not especially busy but there were quite a few lorries about - remember this fact!

Anyway, I get close to the airport, doing 75mph on the inside lane when I spotted a chap hammering up the middle lane in my rear view mirror, with his indicator on. There was a junction coming up ahead of me and I correctly surmised that he would be coming past me and then cutting across to take the exit, which he duly did. Now, yes, it was a bit of a twattish manoeuvre but he was going plenty fast, there was no traffic in front of me and as he passed across the front of me there was plenty of room and I was not forced to brake or disengage the cruise control. All good.

Unfortunately, the car didn't see it this way as, unbeknown to me, it had adaptive cruise control which was activated. Hence as the chap came across my lane, the car 'saw' him and slammed on the brakes. And I don't mean applied them gently - it slammed them on. I damn near shat myself and came close to smacking my face on the steering wheel. Now, maybe the software though it was doing a good thing but i have one big question - had there been one of those many lorries that I mentioned earlier up my chuff, would it have known? (luckily, there wasn't). If so, what would it have done? Was the software programmed to know that, in this case, braking to avoid a collision could have actually caused one by letting god knows how many tons of truck rear-end me? If so, what would it have done?

Needless to say, after I retrieved my tonsils from the dashboard and opened the window to let the smell out, i went into the car's menus and found the off switch for this feature. It took me two pints at the airport before my hands stopped shaking, though!

Like Marco, I hate stuff like this. When I'm driving, I want to be in charge. Not some random software.

[Marco]

Like Marco, I hate stuff like this. When I'm driving, I want to be in charge. Not some random software.

In a nutshell, mate... Good story, and you make a very valid point. No software yet invented can supercede the judgement of a competent human!

Trouble is, there are less and less of those around now, due to folk driving cars laden with 'aids', and forgetting how to *actually* drive!!

What shocks and depresses me in equal measure though, is how happy the masses are to adopt this stuff so readily, instead of questioning its genuine efficacy and safety, and where all this tech might lead to!

Marco.

[CageyH]

Switching it off may be easy now mate, but not if that facility is ever removed, for reasons discussed. How often are you in traffic jams where you live? I thought you were fairly rural, no? I'm rarely in traffic jams or on motorways, so hardly ever use cruise control.

Anyway, I'm pleased that you're enjoying your car, Kevin, as that's what it's all about, and long may it provide you with enjoyment, but electric cars replete with all manner of 'driver aids' aren't for me. I'm not even a fan of automatic gearboxes. If I'd had the choice, I'd have chosen a manual one!

In a car, I like to do as much of the driving as possible (including parking and reversing) and be totally 'hands on', as otherwise it simply encourages laziness and erodes your inherent skills and judgement (as they say, if you don't use it, you lose it), and takes all the fun out of the experience.

These days, I don't drive many miles, so when I do, I want to be *actively* in control and immersed in the experience

Marco.

Small traffic jams every working day. It was awesome for a while, but now everything is getting back to normal, less people are working from home.

The important thing is to play with these gadgets, and decide when it is best to use them, based on knowing how they perform.
I am not sure “enjoying” is the right word for the new car. If I want enjoyment, I take the 7 out…. (It is like going from one extreme to the other though. No creature comforts. No driver aids. Hopefully I manage to stay in control, but is is not hard if I stick to the speed limits).

Happy is probably best, as it is comfortable, quiet, economic and has a little bit of poke when you want it.

[Pigmy Pony]

That for me sounds like an utter nightmare, totally dangerous, and would result in the car being sold on the spot! It's essentially the car driving YOU, not vice versa, as it should be, and a classic overuse of technology that not only encourages laziness, but the solving of a problem that doesn't really exist.

Moreover, you can clearly see where we're heading in future, and a move to where the 'driver' just sits there, does nothing while the car takes over, and therefore simply becomes another passenger

Ask yourself this: *who* could ultimately control the car's computer remotely, and therefore where YOU go?? The technology to do that already exists. You think that won't happen, if they're allowed to get away with it? THINK again....

Heaven help us all!

Marco.

I am thinking about it, and thinking that I will hopefully be well retired before that becomes a reality. But I do feel sorry for the younger ones (not you Marco, you are also old ) Imagine young Wayne phoning in sick so he can take his bird Sharon for a shopping trip to Primark, and the bloody car takes him to work instead. Forcing Sharon to get the bus home. Nightmare...

[dave2010]

Reminds me of my first experience of adaptive cruise control a couple of years back.

I went to Germany for the day to see a work supplier, who were about an hour from Frankfurt Airport, and my hire car was a brand new Ford Kuga. Quite a nice thing actually and I pottered off to the supplier and then was returning in the evening during rush hour. I used the cruise control as it was pretty much a straight stretch of autobahn - not especially busy but there were quite a few lorries about - remember this fact!

Anyway, I get close to the airport, doing 75mph on the inside lane when I spotted a chap hammering up the middle lane in my rear view mirror, with his indicator on. There was a junction coming up ahead of me and I correctly surmised that he would be coming past me and then cutting across to take the exit, which he duly did. Now, yes, it was a bit of a twattish manoeuvre but he was going plenty fast, there was no traffic in front of me and as he passed across the front of me there was plenty of room and I was not forced to brake or disengage the cruise control. All good.

Unfortunately, the car didn't see it this way as, unbeknown to me, it had adaptive cruise control which was activated. Hence as the chap came across my lane, the car 'saw' him and slammed on the brakes. And I don't mean applied them gently - it slammed them on. I damn near shat myself and came close to smacking my face on the steering wheel. Now, maybe the software though it was doing a good thing but i have one big question - had there been one of those many lorries that I mentioned earlier up my chuff, would it have known? (luckily, there wasn't). If so, what would it have done? Was the software programmed to know that, in this case, braking to avoid a collision could have actually caused one by letting god knows how many tons of truck rear-end me? If so, what would it have done?

Needless to say, after I retrieved my tonsils from the dashboard and opened the window to let the smell out, i went into the car's menus and found the off switch for this feature. It took me two pints at the airport before my hands stopped shaking, though!

Like Marco, I hate stuff like this. When I'm driving, I want to be in charge. Not some random software.

Adaptive cruise control can be very good - if it works! With my Tesla model 3 it takes courage to set the "follow the car in front" feature, as in my opinion the distance between the vehicles in front and my own is not sufficient at high speed. If the car in front stops suddenly, or someone cuts in - as in your example - I just don't know if it'll work. There's an additional problem - if it's set to be on, then the driver might not have enough time to react if the automatic system doesn't work. Another problem is that there's no full driver control - it's either on or not. It will respond to the accelerator, but brakes kill it immediately. Suppose that one is prepared to trust the cruise control, but for some reason you put the brakes on - perhaps for extra safety. Then the cruise control - with whatever "safety features" it has is inactivated, and the driver has to remember that.

Apart from that the cruise control in my Tesla is hopelessly unreliable. Often it doesn't operate, either because of software issues, or because it thinks that the cameras aren't working. That last situation can happen if the cameras get really dirty, but they don't normally. It's sometimes possible to do a software reset, but that doesn't help if the car is running at speed.

Sadly there are features of the car which I really like - but Elon Musk and his outfit have to do a lot better than this for safe driving on UK roads. I could write a 5000 page essay on what's wrong with Tesla cars. The customer service is appalling, Many of the people are nice, but they operate in silos, and often haven't a clue about real issues, or in some cases about the technology. Many of their service staff don't actually drive EVs, so haven't any idea of the significant problems.

[Firebottle]

Sadly there are features of the car which I really like - but Elon Musk and his outfit have to do a lot better than this for safe driving on UK roads. I could write a 5000 page essay on what's wrong with Tesla cars. The customer service is appalling, Many of the people are nice, but they operate in silos, and often haven't a clue about real issues, or in some cases about the technology. Many of their service staff don't actually drive EVs, so haven't any idea of the significant problems.

That's put me off completely from owning a Tesla, not that I had considered it anyway.
For the price they are you want top notch service included as standard, yes?