It almost drives itself.
Discussion
Today I spent some motorway time with a Volvo V60 T6 estate, a car so laden with tech you almost don't have to bother sitting in the driving seat.
A glance at the windscreen shows sensors galore, so you know there is something unusual going on inside. To start there is the usual auto lights and auto wipers along with keyless entry (but isn't that 'normal' these days?) and more airbags than a plastic surgeons stock room.
Once on the move you have the following things to assist you:
BLIS - a warning light that appears next to the rear view mirror that alerts you to the fact that something is in your blind spot.
Collision Warning: a series of lights on a head up display that increase in length and brightness the closer you get to the car in front. If it thinks you are too close the lights flash and a warning noise sounds to alert you.
Lane departure: again, fairly common now but it makes a right song and dance dare you stray over the dotted lines (even to normally overtake) to wake you up from your nap
Adaptive cruise: here is the odd part. From joining the M25 I must have touched the accelerator and brakes under 15 times before I reached Gaydon off the M40. I set the cruise to 75mph and from then on it braked, accelerated, lifted off and kept a measure gap from the car in front for the entire journey. Sometimes it applied the brakes firmly, sometimes it just lifted off, but I had to do absolutely nothing other than check mirrors (using BLIS of course)indicate and steer.
In an age where cars like the Ford Focus can park itself I might just get in the back next time and see what happens.
All in all it was an odd experience. With the adaptive cruise it's dangerously easy to lose full concentration, and with all the warning buzzers and lights you may as well just have a snooze and wait until it tells you you're home. Unsettling, and yet strangely impressive (for the wrong reasons) all at once. Is it a sign of things to come?
I'm heading home in the Lexus tonight, that means I actually have to apply the brakes from time to time........almost makes the LS a real drivers car.
A glance at the windscreen shows sensors galore, so you know there is something unusual going on inside. To start there is the usual auto lights and auto wipers along with keyless entry (but isn't that 'normal' these days?) and more airbags than a plastic surgeons stock room.
Once on the move you have the following things to assist you:
BLIS - a warning light that appears next to the rear view mirror that alerts you to the fact that something is in your blind spot.
Collision Warning: a series of lights on a head up display that increase in length and brightness the closer you get to the car in front. If it thinks you are too close the lights flash and a warning noise sounds to alert you.
Lane departure: again, fairly common now but it makes a right song and dance dare you stray over the dotted lines (even to normally overtake) to wake you up from your nap
Adaptive cruise: here is the odd part. From joining the M25 I must have touched the accelerator and brakes under 15 times before I reached Gaydon off the M40. I set the cruise to 75mph and from then on it braked, accelerated, lifted off and kept a measure gap from the car in front for the entire journey. Sometimes it applied the brakes firmly, sometimes it just lifted off, but I had to do absolutely nothing other than check mirrors (using BLIS of course)indicate and steer.
In an age where cars like the Ford Focus can park itself I might just get in the back next time and see what happens.
All in all it was an odd experience. With the adaptive cruise it's dangerously easy to lose full concentration, and with all the warning buzzers and lights you may as well just have a snooze and wait until it tells you you're home. Unsettling, and yet strangely impressive (for the wrong reasons) all at once. Is it a sign of things to come?
I'm heading home in the Lexus tonight, that means I actually have to apply the brakes from time to time........almost makes the LS a real drivers car.
Garlick said:
Today I spent some motorway time with a Volvo V60 T6 estate, a car so laden with tech you almost don't have to bother sitting in the driving seat.
A glance at the windscreen shows sensors galore, so you know there is something unusual going on inside. To start there is the usual auto lights and auto wipers along with keyless entry (but isn't that 'normal' these days?) and more airbags than a plastic surgeons stock room.
Once on the move you have the following things to assist you:
BLIS - a warning light that appears next to the rear view mirror that alerts you to the fact that something is in your blind spot.
Collision Warning: a series of lights on a head up display that increase in length and brightness the closer you get to the car in front. If it thinks you are too close the lights flash and a warning noise sounds to alert you.
Lane departure: again, fairly common now but it makes a right song and dance dare you stray over the dotted lines (even to normally overtake) to wake you up from your nap
Adaptive cruise: here is the odd part. From joining the M25 I must have touched the accelerator and brakes under 15 times before I reached Gaydon off the M40. I set the cruise to 75mph and from then on it braked, accelerated, lifted off and kept a measure gap from the car in front for the entire journey. Sometimes it applied the brakes firmly, sometimes it just lifted off, but I had to do absolutely nothing other than check mirrors (using BLIS of course)indicate and steer.
In an age where cars like the Ford Focus can park itself I might just get in the back next time and see what happens.
All in all it was an odd experience. With the adaptive cruise it's dangerously easy to lose full concentration, and with all the warning buzzers and lights you may as well just have a snooze and wait until it tells you you're home. Unsettling, and yet strangely impressive (for the wrong reasons) all at once. Is it a sign of things to come?
I'm heading home in the Lexus tonight, that means I actually have to apply the brakes from time to time........almost makes the LS a real drivers car.
All well & good until the first big crash/ law suit!A glance at the windscreen shows sensors galore, so you know there is something unusual going on inside. To start there is the usual auto lights and auto wipers along with keyless entry (but isn't that 'normal' these days?) and more airbags than a plastic surgeons stock room.
Once on the move you have the following things to assist you:
BLIS - a warning light that appears next to the rear view mirror that alerts you to the fact that something is in your blind spot.
Collision Warning: a series of lights on a head up display that increase in length and brightness the closer you get to the car in front. If it thinks you are too close the lights flash and a warning noise sounds to alert you.
Lane departure: again, fairly common now but it makes a right song and dance dare you stray over the dotted lines (even to normally overtake) to wake you up from your nap
Adaptive cruise: here is the odd part. From joining the M25 I must have touched the accelerator and brakes under 15 times before I reached Gaydon off the M40. I set the cruise to 75mph and from then on it braked, accelerated, lifted off and kept a measure gap from the car in front for the entire journey. Sometimes it applied the brakes firmly, sometimes it just lifted off, but I had to do absolutely nothing other than check mirrors (using BLIS of course)indicate and steer.
In an age where cars like the Ford Focus can park itself I might just get in the back next time and see what happens.
All in all it was an odd experience. With the adaptive cruise it's dangerously easy to lose full concentration, and with all the warning buzzers and lights you may as well just have a snooze and wait until it tells you you're home. Unsettling, and yet strangely impressive (for the wrong reasons) all at once. Is it a sign of things to come?
I'm heading home in the Lexus tonight, that means I actually have to apply the brakes from time to time........almost makes the LS a real drivers car.
Who is responsible? < one assumes there will be disclaimers all over the car?>
sleep envy said:
G - weren't you bored?
Typo? Garlick said:
With the adaptive cruise it's dangerously easy to lose full concentration
also, not one to normally pick up on typos but that one did make me chuckle, ironic Bored? Yes after a while, but initially it was like being on a ride wondering how long you dare not touch the brake.
Maxym said:
Not 'normal' or 'common' on the cars I drive, mate...
Me neither, but as a showroom available option it's not that rare and is on a wide range of cars. Shaw Tarse said:
Does the driver have to control the pedals? [i]I[i/] think this is the case with S?
Pedals? You don't need to do anything once you have some initial momentum. Touching the brakes turns the cruise off as normal, and acceleration can be over-ridden too, but until you want to re-take control you don't need to touch any pedals (this car was automatic)Negative Creep said:
It's these automatic braking systems that worry me "I can drive really close to that other car, no need to pay attention as the car will save me from......*crunch*"
Certainly has good intentions but it will just lead to people paying no attention to the road
Precisely. It may well hold the correct distance and perform an emergency stop on a motorway if the car in front does, but what if it's someone pulling across a lane at you without seeing you, it can't deal with that, and neither can you if you're relying on the car to do the driving.Certainly has good intentions but it will just lead to people paying no attention to the road
Scary stuff.
I was just looking at the new Focus' website, and it says this about its Adaptive Cruise:
Ford said:
However, if the system detects a vehicle ahead of you, it will slow your car to ensure a pre-set distance between your cars. Once the road in front of you is clear again, it will revert to your chosen speed which can be set from 15mph to 70mph*. It also features Forward Alert, a monitoring system which warns you if you get too close to the vehicle in front of you.
So does that mean it won't let you set the cruise control above 70mph? If so, is that speedo mph or actual mph?- Where legally permitted. Please note that ACC will not prevent collisions with stationary objects
Negative Creep said:
It's these automatic braking systems that worry me "I can drive really close to that other car, no need to pay attention as the car will save me from......*crunch*"
Certainly has good intentions but it will just lead to people paying no attention to the road
Indeed it is a mind bendingly stupid idea.Certainly has good intentions but it will just lead to people paying no attention to the road
and will allow inattentive t
ts more opportunity to drift to another planetwhile on the phone/reading/doing makeup etc
Scares the hell out of me.
Negative Creep said:
Doesn't the new Focus have a system which stops you under 19mph? How long until some is doing 20 and expects the car to stop itself?
New Focus is packed with this kind of stuff.Ford said:
Low Speed Safety System
This system is designed to assist you in slow moving traffic and at speeds under 20 mph. If its sensors detect the car in front has unexpectedly stopped, the car applies the brakes automatically. Instant reaction time, the instant you need it.
My uncle has a car with reversing sensors which permanently think there's something behind him. That'll be great if it happens to the Low Speed Safety System sensor. This system is designed to assist you in slow moving traffic and at speeds under 20 mph. If its sensors detect the car in front has unexpectedly stopped, the car applies the brakes automatically. Instant reaction time, the instant you need it.
Ford said:
Lane Keeping Aid
If you're slow to react or don’t respond to the Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Aid will apply gentle steering input to help make sure you stay in the correct lane. It's good to know the new Focus is looking out for you.
Car which takes over the steering when it wants to. Sounds great!If you're slow to react or don’t respond to the Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Aid will apply gentle steering input to help make sure you stay in the correct lane. It's good to know the new Focus is looking out for you.
Ford said:
Hill Start Assist
This innovation prevents you from rolling backwards when making a hill start. After releasing the brake when stationary, the technology keeps the wheels steady, increasing control when pulling away on a hill, or stopping and starting on slippery surfaces.
The only time I've had a problem with rolling back on hills was when I was 17 in a BSM car. And it taught me how not to roll back on hills. This innovation prevents you from rolling backwards when making a hill start. After releasing the brake when stationary, the technology keeps the wheels steady, increasing control when pulling away on a hill, or stopping and starting on slippery surfaces.
[/auto luddite]
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