Driver "aids" Why so many? Can no-one drive anymore?

Driver "aids" Why so many? Can no-one drive anymore?

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Discussion

S2Mike

Original Poster:

3,065 posts

152 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
quotequote all
Opportunity to have a rant.
Why so many " Driver Aids"
If drivers need all this help, they should not be allowed on the road, lights that come on when dark or raining, wipers that start when it drizzles, auto reverse parking, reversing sensors, heads up displays, tyre pressure remote guages, out of lane warning sensors, cruise control and the list goes on and on!! Dont even start me on " Start Stop " technology bo****cks!!
Can nobody be bothered to actually drive their bl***dy car, Go get the bus and be done with it.
Make the driving test harder to pass, compulsory retest every 10 years and give the control of the car back to the driver!!
.
Does anyone else despair of the manufacturers building cars with so many "aids" the driver is only a steering dummy!

I feel better now. Thanks..

mmm-five

11,296 posts

286 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
quotequote all
Maybe these aids just allow the drive to concentrate more on the main task?

Have you disabled your ABS, power steering, windscreen wipers, etc. or do you consider those aids as 'essential'?

kambites

67,726 posts

223 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
quotequote all
Agreed. Get all the cars with power assisted steering or brakes off the road - their drivers should clearly all be on the bus. hehe

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

267 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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Imagine my horror when I discovered my mobile telephone has a camera on it!
Extend argument to everything until we're all back in the caves eating raw rat

Is it lazy rant day or something? I drive an S1 Elise, but I really can't think of a reason why someone else shouldn't have an electrically adjustable auto-dimming interior rear view mirror if they want.

Uncle John

4,338 posts

193 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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Once upon a time a windscreen was considered a driver aid.

It's called progress.

nickbee

423 posts

239 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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Indicators have always struck me as the lazy man's alternative to sticking your arm out the window. The highway code clearly shows the relevant hand signals; if you can't be bothered to learn them you shouldn't be on the road. And don't get me started on synchromesh! Why can't people just double declutch, like they used to?

[caveman] Wheels? What the f*ck is wrong with your feet? [/caveman]

kambites

67,726 posts

223 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
quotequote all
Uncle John said:
Once upon a time a windscreen was considered a driver aid.

It's called progress.
As were things like automatic timing advances.

The simple answer to the original question is that the huge majority of these systems, new or old, provide a net benefit to most drivers most of the time. It's just a bit of a shame that some of them are forced on those of us who don't want them, but that's just how market forces work.

S2Mike

Original Poster:

3,065 posts

152 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
quotequote all
Boredom Rant.
I prefer the pure feeling of driving, oh look its raining I will turn on my wipers,its getting dark I will turn my lights on, oh the traffic has stopped for 3 seconds I will turn off my engine and restart when ready to move again.
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Not trying to offend anyone but if you cant park your own car without help, WTF as they say!!

anonymous-user

56 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
quotequote all
Some driving aids are good some are bad like anything.
I'm not a fan of power steering (too light imo) but I think ABS is very good. T/C doesn't bother, those cars that won't roll back on a hill annoy me though. You should learn to do a hill start and not rely on the car.

GroundEffect

13,864 posts

158 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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Stop-start technology is not a driver aid, it's to help emissions. And it makes a significant difference during NEDC.

Davel

8,982 posts

260 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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Having got rid of my Disco 4 HSE with auto virtually everything, I'm quite enjoying the new Defender without all the gadgets.

The drive is much more involving and not an awful lot slower in journey time.

Torquey

1,900 posts

230 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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I'm with the OP.

Thankfully there are a few manufacturers that may offer something suitable. Lotus, TVR...

S2Mike

Original Poster:

3,065 posts

152 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
quotequote all
Davel said:
Having got rid of my Disco 4 HSE with auto virtually everything, I'm quite enjoying the new Defender without all the gadgets.

The drive is much more involving and not an awful lot slower in journey time.
.
Hurrah Thanks, My TVR is much the same, basic stuff like windscreen wipers and indicators but everything else needs driver input!!

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

267 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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Torquey said:
TVR...
Who? Can't seem to find a local dealer.

surveyor

17,912 posts

186 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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I like the gadgets. Just wish they worked.

Having to turn on my own lights on the Rover. It's such a struggle and gives me arm ache.

BMW is auto lights - the Volvo has it's own version, always on...

AJB

856 posts

217 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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S2Mike said:
Boredom Rant.
I prefer the pure feeling of driving, oh look its raining I will turn on my wipers,its getting dark I will turn my lights on, oh the traffic has stopped for 3 seconds I will turn off my engine and restart when ready to move again.
So would you be happier if there were little knobs on the steering wheel for adjusting mixture, ignition timing, and idle speed? Or is it OK that the car does those for you these days. Doesn't automatic ignition timing take away some of the "pure feel of driving"? There's a computer making decisions for you...

And what about synchromesh as someone said? Double-declutching is definitely purer driving.

For me, on an every day car, I can't be bothered to do those things myself and progress is generally a good thing. And yes, I really like parking sensors, cruise control and rain sensing wipers.

On a classic to use at weekends when the weather is nice, then manual choke, no synchromesh, etc is character and makes the "pure" experience better.

Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

257 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
quotequote all
mmm-five said:
Maybe these aids just allow the drive to concentrate more on the main task?

Have you disabled your ABS, power steering, windscreen wipers, etc. or do you consider those aids as 'essential'?
ABS is hardly essential in order to drive a car safely and the other two examples aren't really "driver aids". You wouldn't be able to do drive safely without windscreen wipers in the rain, and with modern cars being so heavy with silly wide tyres you'd need bloody good arm muscles to be able to steer well enough without hydraulic/electrical assistance.


The sort of useless crap the OP is referring to is stuff that you simply do not need if you have a modicum of ability and an IQ higher than a chimp. In your example that would be "rain sensing wipers".

nickbee

423 posts

239 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
quotequote all
S2Mike said:
Boredom Rant.
I prefer the pure feeling of driving, oh look its raining I will turn on my wipers,its getting dark I will turn my lights on, oh the traffic has stopped for 3 seconds I will turn off my engine and restart when ready to move again.
.
Not trying to offend anyone but if you cant park your own car without help, WTF as they say!!
The primary purpose of cars is to transport people and objects between locations quickly, comfortably and safety. If I'm trying to transport my family the length of the country at night in the rain, I'll happily accept any help that's offered to me without considering it an affront to my dignity, an insult to my driving ability or a question mark over my general manliness. I'm perfectly capable of parking in the multi-story at the station each morning, but it's a joyless experience so if a beepy sensor made it a touch easier I'd welcome it.

If I'm trying to work my way round Brands faster than before then my priorities are entirely different because I'm doing it for fun, but I'm in a small minority of people who ever put themselves in that situation.

S2Mike

Original Poster:

3,065 posts

152 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
quotequote all
Cos every other manufacturer is taking over the driving of all cars so I bought an old one!!
It wont be long before roads will be like a huge scalextric track, all the dummies just step into a passenger pod which runs in a slot, which transports them to somewhere near where they want to go!
Personal choice will be gone, no more procreation, people will be chosen and cloned, breathing will be taxed and cars will be banned except in museums!
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Have I gone a little over the top do you think??

redstu

2,287 posts

241 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
quotequote all
mmm-five said:
Maybe these aids just allow the drive to concentrate more on the main task?

Have you disabled your ABS, power steering, windscreen wipers, etc. or do you consider those aids as 'essential'?
More likely I think that they make some people feel that they canforget about the task and text or use facebook instead?