[zroger73]

I've always been a supporter of both passive and active safety devices over the years (with the exception of those ridiculous automatic motorized shoulder belts in the 90s). The first car I owned had seat belts, but shoulder belts were optional and they operated independently. Nobody wore them. When their use became legally mandated, many people refused to wear them and some still do. Along came single-stage airbags that were as likely to cause injury as they were to save lives. Much-improved two-stage airbags were later introduced. Next, we had anti-lock brakes which allowed for steering during panic stops, although at the expense of increased stopping distance on some surfaces like snow or gravel (which has mostly been alleviated through smarter software). After that came stability control, which was a significant advancement. Now, we have collision mitigation/avoidance systems to help further prevent collisions. The latest semi-autonomous driving systems are simply easing us into fully-autonomous driving, which is certain to come. I think it'll be many, many years (probably not in most of our lifetimes) before that becomes a legal requirement, though.

To help protect the innocent from the guilty, I think the latest safety equipment should be legally required on all new vehicles. Safety shouldn't be an option only available to the wealthy. Some of the most risky and inattentive drivers on the road are the very young and the very old - two age groups that gravitate towards lower-cost transportation that may not include (or even have available) the latest safety equipment.

There will always be some people who think they're smarter or more capable than the electronic nannies (and sometimes that's true), but it only takes a split second loss of attention or misjudgment to claim the lives of innocent victims.

I will admit I truly believe there is also a downside to the latest safety technology - it creates a sense of complacency. Much like 4WD owners feel that "they can go anywhere without getting stuck", safety systems can cause drivers to become less attentive and rely too much on the safety features as an excuse to do things they should be doing.

Famous last words: "I can now safely text while driving knowing that my car will automatically keep in me in my lane or stop before I hit someone or another vehicle."

 

[zroger73]

I hope none of you "perfect" drivers ever suffer a medical condition that results in loss of consciousness or get distracted by an angry wasp.

 

[zroger73]

I think we can all agree that these electronic nannies are no substitute or excuse for proper driving. Self-driving technology is not yet legal or reasonably effective, which is why functionality is usually limited to certain conditions. For example, Honda's Lane Keeping Assist System shut off if it detects no steering input from the driver for more than 15 seconds. The Adaptive Cruise Control (with the exception of the Civic) will not completely stop the vehicle since it deactivates below 22 MPH (although the Collision Mitigation Braking System should stop you at the very last second in a loud, abrupt, attention-getting maneuver). Although these systems even in their current state of progress may be capable of autonomous driving under ideal conditions, they are too unreliable to be used for anything other than limited use.

The 3-beep warning tone after the Tesla crash reminds me of a scene in The Fifth Element where Korben has a wreck and his car says, "You have just had an accident. You have one point left on your license. Have a good day."

 

[zroger73]

OK, so if I'm driving down the road and texting, the Lane Keep Assist should keep me in my lane for the 15 seconds it takes to slug down a big ol' wallop of bourbon. 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?

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

 

[zroger73]

Re: 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

Can't read the article without a subscription. :/

EDIT: Here's a version that doesn't require a subscription the The Wall Street Journal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/01/business/self-driving-tesla-fatal-crash-investigation.html?_r=0

 

[zroger73]

Re: Electronic Nanny - First Death

Yes you can and anyone can, it just takes a little techknowledge.

1. Open a new browser session (if Firefox open, open an Opera or Chrome session) or close any open browser session
2. On the URL line, copy and paste this text
Tesla Draws Scrutiny After Autopilot Feature Linked to a Death - WSJ

This will automatically lookup a Google link to article on WSJ and when clicked on from the Google Search list, the entire article opens up with no need to sign in or have active subscription.

I'm lazy, yet efficient - that's too much work to go through and defeats the whole purpose of hyperlinks!

 

[zroger73]

BTW, there are now reports that the driver of the Tesla was watching a movie (Harry Potter, apparently), on a portable DVD player.

It appears the driver whose truck was hit initially claimed (or was quoted) that he "saw" the movie playing inside the car. That later changed to "heard". Police said a DVD player was found inside the car. I think it's far too early to speculate that the driver was watching a movie based on the presence of a DVD player and the word of someone involved in the collision. Too many possibilities including the chance the impact could have started a DVD playing.

I've had my Black Edition since day 1 and so far, it appears that I can turn off all of the "nanny devices". There are controls on the steering wheel and on the left hand side console. I haven't gone through and disabled all of them but it would appear that way.

Some of the features can be annoying for sure. The lane departure one is probably the worst but I leave it on more often than not. The steering wheel vibration (the lights don't bother me) is probably the biggest thing. Odd that I sort of miss it when it's off though - that's just me.

Neither my brother's Civic nor my CR-V has ever "shaken" the steering wheel (although both are capable) - though they do often "beep beep beep" annoyingly when nearing the lane's edge while avoiding potholes. On the opposite end of the spectrum, an RTL-E I drove last week shook the steering wheel on several occasions. The LDW system appeared to be even more overly sensitive than my CR-V and my brother's Civic. I had to turn off the LDW in my CR-V and suspect I'll be doing the same in the Ridgeline. The CMBS has overreacted a few times as well, but I leave it on because it did save me once and I'm sold on that feature.

 

[zroger73]

I'm still on the fence about these safety features. I've always taken pride in and appreciated having been taught how to drive properly by my grandfather (a mechanic) and my father (a police officer). I will say that the last few months in a CR-V with Honda Sensing, LaneWatch, and a backup camera have made me uncomfortably complacent. Embarrassingly and frighteningly, I've found myself relying on these features all too often. More than once, the system has braked to avoid a collision and alerted me that I was about to run off the road - events that were an extremely rare occurrence until now because I was paying attention. There is a risky psychological influence that gives me a false sense of security in that "the vehicle has my back". Unfortunately, I now find that when I turn those features off and revert to my old way of driving, I feel like I've just unbuckled my seatbelt while driving 75 MPH down a crowded interstate.