There are certainly some great technological innovations to make us safer and driving easier.
My Leaf had an all round camera with a bird's eye view which was fantastic for reversing - the only blind spots were a small area on each corner.
It also had a radar sensed active cruise control that saved me from a collision on a misty motorway. The mist was patchy and when I entered an unexpectedly thick bank, it was the system slowing me down rapidly that avoided me rear ending the car in front (with no rear fogs on) totally hidden.
The Leaf also had blindspot leds in the door mirror that lit up when an overtaking car was in my blind spot.
It's the interface with the driver that leaves a lot to be desired in a lot of cars.
I'd love to see a new car with a retro dash, white dial instruments and chunky switches, with plenty of the gauges we never see these days such as voltmeter, oil pressure, coolandt temp, turbo boost pressure etc..
My Leaf had an all round camera with a bird's eye view which was fantastic for reversing - the only blind spots were a small area on each corner.
It also had a radar sensed active cruise control that saved me from a collision on a misty motorway. The mist was patchy and when I entered an unexpectedly thick bank, it was the system slowing me down rapidly that avoided me rear ending the car in front (with no rear fogs on) totally hidden.
The Leaf also had blindspot leds in the door mirror that lit up when an overtaking car was in my blind spot.
It's the interface with the driver that leaves a lot to be desired in a lot of cars.
I'd love to see a new car with a retro dash, white dial instruments and chunky switches, with plenty of the gauges we never see these days such as voltmeter, oil pressure, coolandt temp, turbo boost pressure etc..
You can view just about any engine patameter with an OBD2 can bus monitor. Problem is you can get too distracted by it in an OCD way.
Eventually car makers put actual oil pressure, coolant temp and battery voltage gauges in cars. The problem was that people would freak out if the gauges weren't reading 100 percent perfect, so they started to replace the sending units with narrow banded sensors which kept the gauges reading the same levels regardless of actual readings, so people wouldn't nit pick what the gauge was telling them and run every time to the dealer if it was just a little off. Idiot lights usually only come on when it way too late and damage already has been done. You just didn't know if the engine had no oil pressure at all or it was just a bit low. Some cars only had one idiot light for oil pressure and coolant temperature, which was pointless and rather useless.
Eventually car makers put actual oil pressure, coolant temp and battery voltage gauges in cars. The problem was that people would freak out if the gauges weren't reading 100 percent perfect, so they started to replace the sending units with narrow banded sensors which kept the gauges reading the same levels regardless of actual readings, so people wouldn't nit pick what the gauge was telling them and run every time to the dealer if it was just a little off. Idiot lights usually only come on when it way too late and damage already has been done. You just didn't know if the engine had no oil pressure at all or it was just a bit low. Some cars only had one idiot light for oil pressure and coolant temperature, which was pointless and rather useless.
Talking of OCD, I use the carscanner Pro app and have my phone on my steering wheel using a magnetic mount. It's great app with easily customisable gauges over up to 5 screens. It also can show the max and min values of any live data parameter and logs the data for a graphical view.
It even works on my 2014 Honda CRZ as the photo shows and of course can read and clear fault codes.
It even works on my 2014 Honda CRZ as the photo shows and of course can read and clear fault codes.
Code scanners have become so common and mainstream. Its pretty amazing what you can do with them. I have an Xtool D9 scanner which can also turn on and off certain features of the car programmed from the factory ie auto door locking, remote starting, daytime running lights, extra key programming, speedometer calibration, etc.
They usually make you go to the dealer and just pay them just to have preprogrammed things reconfigured. Things have become so proprietary with vehicle electronics and repairing certain things. Even some basic maintenance items are now a dealer only type of thing to make you spend money on those specific things only the dealer can access with their computer diagnostics and programming setups. Its quite the racket and money maker for them.
Even just to replace brake linings, you have go into the car's computer and set the ABS solenoids to open up so you can allow for bleeding the hydraulics. Some cars even have collision specific sensors in the windshield that need to be recalibrated when a new windshield is fitted. Its getting crazy that way.
They usually make you go to the dealer and just pay them just to have preprogrammed things reconfigured. Things have become so proprietary with vehicle electronics and repairing certain things. Even some basic maintenance items are now a dealer only type of thing to make you spend money on those specific things only the dealer can access with their computer diagnostics and programming setups. Its quite the racket and money maker for them.
Even just to replace brake linings, you have go into the car's computer and set the ABS solenoids to open up so you can allow for bleeding the hydraulics. Some cars even have collision specific sensors in the windshield that need to be recalibrated when a new windshield is fitted. Its getting crazy that way.
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Tesla's main problem is Elon Musk and his rule "Elon always knows better". Tesla has to be different because Elon Musk wants it to be different, there's nothing more to it and that's a stupid reason for doing something.
Personally, I'm not a fan of "changing things just for the sake of change": if something arguably can be done better, then by all means do it better. But replacing all traditional knobs, stalks and switches with a touchscreen that hides regularly used functions in layers of menus is just stupid in my opinion.
EM has said that he knows more about manufacturing than anyone else alive - oh really?!
Driving a car is a serious undertaking which has the potential to kill or hurt people and animals: advanced primary and secondary safety features are inherently desirable and great to have, but, as noted above, the best crash (most are not 'accidents') is one you avoid.
To do that, you need to concentrate: any distractions which take the driver's eyes off the road, or hands off the steering wheel, etc are just plain dangerous.
Geoff
Driving a car is a serious undertaking which has the potential to kill or hurt people and animals: advanced primary and secondary safety features are inherently desirable and great to have, but, as noted above, the best crash (most are not 'accidents') is one you avoid.
To do that, you need to concentrate: any distractions which take the driver's eyes off the road, or hands off the steering wheel, etc are just plain dangerous.
Geoff
My 2 cents worth:
A rearview camera system is a good assitive aid, however I have witnessed people reversing with their eyes glued to the center of the dash, without checking ANY of the mirrors in the vehicle.
To that, I routinely witness vehicles driving around in the city in the evening or at night with the daytime running lights on and no TAIL LIGHTS. Why on earth do makers have an 'auto' switch on the headlight stalk? If someone else drives the car, or perhaps it's taken to a shop, then inadvertently the switch is turned to OFF. The clueless owners don't check and ASSUME it's still in AUTO mode, when it's off. Also, why do auto makers allow the dash illumination to light up when the vehicle is ON, with the headlights off at night? This would clue in to the brain dead driver that there are no headlamps on.
I do not agree with autonomous braking and lane keep assist features. This makes for lazy drivers who ASSUME the vehicle will steer and brake for them. Same with LED's in the mirror to tell you there is a vehicle near. The driver should be ENGAGED in the act of driving. Not sitting in a barcalounger half asleep waiting for the destination.
Doesn't anyone teach HOW to set the side and rearview mirrors correctly, and how to perform a basic shoulder check?
ABS brakes? They are fine for the most part, but in certain situations can be problematic. I've driven a new vehicle where the ABS threshold was set too low. To be fair, this was an econobox appliance meant for city folk. The car also possessed much understeer, not enough rear sway bar, not enough damping and at least a 50% lower spring rate than it should have had.
Most passenger vehicles do not have enough vehicle feedback to the driver to keep the driver at state of readiness. If you have driven a track focused car, you would understand what I mean.
Seats that contain you, with less isolation from the chassis. Mechanical feedback from the steering system. Throttles that aren't dumbed down and delayed by the ECU. A manual transmission, or at least a true automatic with paddle shifters. Suspension with proper damping and tires that give you good mechanical grip and feedback.
Instead, the automakers want to pump out garbage vehicles with a glorified snowmobile transmission ( CVT ) with assistive aids out the wazoo, wireless vibrator charging, cameras watching the driver, selling your likeness and biometric information to other compaines through an always on data connection.
Is it better though? Because you still have to look at the screen while you spin a scroll wheel to select the option you want. On my older CX-5 with a touch screen I can nearly change from USB music to AM by muscle memory because it is one press in the same spot each time. With a scroll wheel I'd think I would have to look longer to make sure it had landed on the right item.
And that is the way it should be. I've had rental cars where it took three presses on two different menus on the touch screen to turn on a seat heater. And more steps to turn on a regular heater. Both things that could be accomplished faster and easier with buttons and knobs.
Touch screens are great for setting up vehicle options and even some slightly more complex tasks you would do while driving like selecting a music folder or a frequently dialed number, but they shouldn't be used, especially in a sub menu, for something you would need to do often or with any urgency. I can wait until traffic clears up and the road straightens out to call someone or change my music but if the window starts fogging up, that needs to be turned on right now. And I prefer to do that with muscle memory and not looking, especially when the commute traffic is going from 5 to 65 and back down to 5 repeatedly.
It would be interesting to see some polling on the subject and even if younger people like the touchscreens, maybe it is better to stick with what is safer. I'm not allowed to scroll through multiple menus on my phone while driving but what if my car requires me to do that to change the fan speed?
There are some signs of sanity. Honda had gone to a section of the screen that you slid your finger up and down on to change the volume for a few years. They've moved back to volume knobs.
Nope, It is not comparable for the basic controls. The young people just mind it less because they are accustomed to taking their eyes off the road for longer periods of time. It doesn't make it safer for them, just that they don't understand the danger. Everybody that ever rear ended another driver thought they were fine looking away for as long as they did. Touch screens have their purpose but replacing basic, often accessed controls, with items not on the main screen, is not one.
It circles back to the point of, in every car I own I can change the fan speed without taking my eyes off the road at all and in the cars where they put that adjustment in a submenu of a submenu on a touch screen I have to look away to select "climate control" then "Fan speed" then "the speed".
On the center of the steering wheel? Where it would be come a high speed projectile if the airbag is triggered?
The digital dashes have to be illuminated in the daytime to be seen. It is annoying because I see a lot of people driving around with their lights off at night.
When they try to idiot proof things, people tend to rise to the challenge. I see it everyday with people driving in ways that would have ended up with them being dead 40 years ago. But now the car corrects and makes them feel like they are a great driver. They have a level of confidence they should not have.
I have a little old Toyota Tacoma and when braking on gravel it will just let the wheels spin freely instead of letting them slide at all. I can feel the ABS pump but there is no slowing. I got to where I can modulate the braking just above the ABS limit in those situations.
That is the most annoying thing with my newest car, it is just too isolating, it actually freaks me out sometimes. And it isn't the most quite or smooth riding car. But it lacks feedback from the steering and tires. Sure, they weighted the steering well so it feels solid and sporty but when cornering there is nothing coming from the tires to tell how close to the limit it is getting. Sometimes I'll turn off the radio and roll down the windows just to get some more input.
Physical knobs and switches, located with some thought as to frequency of use, with similar functions grouped in the same area is a good thing. I'd like to give my input to designers of some modern vehicles, but they would probably cry and run away saying I hurt they / their feelings.
Don't even get me started on pickup tailgates with small motors to lower them. Who in their right mind dreams of a world where people are unable to open a simple latch and lower a tailgate?
Compared to the 1980's, pickups are no longer modest tools for work. They are better in many ways, with more power, better handling, more braking force and towing capability than ever. However, they are large and HEAVY.
The average pickup in the 80's was a regular cab with an 8 foot bed. It wasn't common for people to order a short bed pickup, and 4 door or extra cab options weren't as prevalent. These days a 5 1/2 foot bed is normal.
The answer? Haul a trailer. Ok, now you've got 2 pieces of equipment to manage, both larger and more cumbersome than a the older, smaller pickup with a larger bed.
Don't even get me started on pickup tailgates with small motors to lower them. Who in their right mind dreams of a world where people are unable to open a simple latch and lower a tailgate?
Compared to the 1980's, pickups are no longer modest tools for work. They are better in many ways, with more power, better handling, more braking force and towing capability than ever. However, they are large and HEAVY.
The average pickup in the 80's was a regular cab with an 8 foot bed. It wasn't common for people to order a short bed pickup, and 4 door or extra cab options weren't as prevalent. These days a 5 1/2 foot bed is normal.
The answer? Haul a trailer. Ok, now you've got 2 pieces of equipment to manage, both larger and more cumbersome than a the older, smaller pickup with a larger bed.
I keep my code reader up on a shelf next to the drain cleaner snake. Not an everyday thing but definitely worth having around.
It is pretty sad how far people have gotten away from having any appreciation for actual physics and how those concepts can prolong your life in a vehicle. Last person to rear end me was obviously distracted by likely a phone, and apparently missed the onboard warning him about the hazard in front of him.