[Earl E. Bird]

This is a public policy issue. At it's core it is the age-old rights vs. safety issue that we see everywhere in society. Trust me, I am very far from a liberal but there are some issues where the government has to step in and mandate things.

This is the slippery slope that most people fall into. I like how the government recently decided that my health care was their business. They had to "step in" as you opined and "mandate" compliance via Obamacare.

This flawed thought process has brought us a gargantuan, Nanny-State federal government that has edged America towards a control freak nation where almost everything is illegal….

#1 One California town is actually considering making it illegal to smoke in your own backyard.
#2 In Louisiana, a church was recently ordered to stop giving out water because it did not have a permit to do so.
#3 In the United States it is illegal to operate a train that does not have an “F” painted on the front. Apparently without that “F” we all might not know where the front of the train is.
#4 In many U.S. states is it now illegal to collect rain that falls from the sky on to your own property.
#5 In America today it is illegal to milk your cow and sell the milk to your neighbor. If you do this, there is a good chance that federal agents will raid your home at the crack of dawn.
#6 In Washington D.C. it is illegal not to recycle cat litter.
#7 It is illegal to give a tour of the monuments in Washington D.C. without a license.
#8 In the United States it is illegal to sell natural cures for cancer – even if they work.
#9 In the state of Massachusetts it is illegal to deface a milk carton.
#10 In the state of Alabama, bear wrestling is completely illegal.
#11 In Fairbanks, Alaska it is illegal to give alcoholic beverages to a moose.
#12 In Lake Elmo, Minnesota it is illegal to sell pumpkins or Christmas trees that are grown outside city limits.
#13 There is a federal law that makes it illegal to be “annoying” on the Internet.
#14 If you register with a false name on MySpace or Facebook you could potentially “spend five years in federal prison“.
#15 In Hazelwood, Missouri it is illegal for little girls to sell girl scout cookies in the front yards of their own homes.
#16 All over the United States lemonade stands run by children are being shut down because they do not have the proper permits.
#17 In Florida, it is illegal to bring a plastic butter knife to school.
#18 In San Juan Capistrano, California it is illegal to hold a home Bible study without a “conditional use permit“.
#19 In the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania it is illegal to make even a single dollar from a blog unless you buy a $300 business license.

The government's message is clear: politicians and bureaucrats know more about how to live your life, manage your health, raise your kids, and they also know that you can't drive as good as them, so they mandate an ever-increasing array of "safety" measures and equipment to make up for people's jackassery driving.

That's about it.

 

[Earl E. Bird]

I am replying to this on my phone while driving my Subaru on the highway with Adaptive cruise and lane keep steering set. You guys don't know what you are missing.

Lol! Good one.

Great, hopefully you won't be lulled into a sense that the vehicle cannot make a mistake. In the 1980s when I was stationed at a military base out west, a Saudi Arabian Officer was getting some training from us. He purchased a RV and took it on I-10 towards Vegas. He "thought" the cruise control would steer (lane keep), and hold speed. Went to the back of the RV to have some food...... you guessed it...... thinking that nothing could go wrong.

I know what I'm missing, and I like it.

 

[Earl E. Bird]

Electronic Nanny - Overreliance Dulls Situational Awareness

For those with some time on their hands, the below study reveals much information regarding drivers’ reliance on lane keeping assistance systems.

Some findings:

"Overreliance on automation and/or complacency is the primary cause for vigilance-related impairments in situational awareness."

"It is suggested that the occurrence and size of possible problematic adaptation effects is related to the degree the operator is taken “out-of-the-loop” from the controlled processes."

"There was a surprising finding in that unassisted drivers (meaning they had NO lane keep assist) performed better than those drivers with lane keep assist in terms of response accuracy. This difference was also obvious in critical driving situations."

http://www.qucosa.de/fileadmin/data...ata/DISS_POPKEN_FINAL_v3Online_geschuetzt.pdf

 

[Earl E. Bird]

Re: Big Emotions about Electronic Nannies

I was amazed at the emotional reaction on this OPTION that no-one has to buy on the Ridgeline. [Well, actually not that
surprised, given the reactions that we see on forums, often about petty issues.]

Facts are not emotions. Today's options are tomorrow's government mandates, all under the umbrella of safety. Heard of NSA spying? It's for YOUR safety, LOL.

 

[Earl E. Bird]

Electronic Nanny - More Overreliance Drama

Just another day in techno-gadget-driving world, and here's a fitting story about Tesla's Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC) feature of the Autopilot:

Tesla Model S driver crashes into a van while on Autopilot [Video]

Tesla Model S driver crashes into a van while on Autopilot [Video] | Electrek

 

[Earl E. Bird]

But what I really need to know is this: If, during that 15 seconds, I'm suddenly about to rear end a car full of nuns in front of me, will the Collision Mitigation Braking System stop my Gen 2 hard enough to make me spill the bourbon?

In all honesty, that outcome is dependent on the type of Bourbon you're having. I'm kind of a Bourbon-nerd, all of the world's best Bourbon is made about 20 minutes away from my house. If you were drinking some Old Forrester you would not care. Now if you had a glass of Pappy Van Winkle there would be concern about spillage!

I'm waiting for the "bourbon test" to be uploaded by Honda.

Me too.

Not if you're using a proper whiskey glass with a narrow top.

There's a difference between Whiskey and Bourbon. If you're wanting to have a good Bourbon (small batches, single barrels, and reserves) many connoisseurs use double wall glasses which permit the entry of a large ice cube.... like this:

 

[Earl E. Bird]

Electronic Nanny - First Death

I'll just leave this here for discussion......

Tesla Draws Scrutiny After Autopilot Feature Linked to a Death

Tesla Draws Scrutiny After Autopilot Feature Linked to a Death - WSJ

 

[Earl E. Bird]

They're not changing how I drive at all, but rather how hard I drive, if that makes any sense.

They are changing how you drive, albeit with subtlety. For starters, automated or semi-automated equipment/computers/cars does not require much human interaction, and reduces analytical thinking. I'm not saying that YOU lose focus, but each day in the United States, more than 9 people are killed and more than 1,153 people are injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver. The use of these expanding vehicle systems allows drivers to have more time to surf the web etc, as opposed to paying attention.

 

[Earl E. Bird]

Electronic Nanny - Another Incident

The hits keep coming boys and girls.....

Another Tesla Model X Crash Blamed On Autopilot, This Time In Montana

Another Tesla Model X Crash Blamed On Autopilot, This Time In Montana

 

[Earl E. Bird]

The use of these emerging systems will continue to bring incidents, like the one below:

Google's self-driving car was just involved in ANOTHER crash

Google's self-driving car was just involved in ANOTHER crash | Tech | Life & Style | Daily Express