Car Gadgets

[disney junky]

I would never buy a car because it had automatic braking or parallel parking, and I would hate to buy a car that had these things knowing I wouldn't use them. The idea of self-driving cars makes me very nervous.
If you're drunk, but your car is driving, can you be liable? Do you even need a license? There are things I wonder about.

 

[Klayfish]

I would never buy a car because it had automatic braking or parallel parking, and I would hate to buy a car that had these things knowing I wouldn't use them. The idea of self-driving cars makes me very nervous.
If you're drunk, but your car is driving, can you be liable? Do you even need a license? There are things I wonder about.

Yes, as of right now, you still need a license. And yes, as of right now I can tell you for 100% certainty that you're still liable if you crash when letting a "self driving" car do the work. The manufacturer can, and has been, brought into the claim and litigation, but the driver still has responsibility too. There are no truly "self driving" cars on sale to the public right now. I know there are a lot of driverless cars being tested in California, but they're not for sale. Tesla has the capability of being able to "drive" itself, but even with that it is still relying on the human inside the vehicle to take over when necessary and is not 100% truly capable of handling all situations on its' own. Maybe down the road, but not yet.

That's the trap people fall into. Cars have more and more electronic nannies...which in my field, I'm 110% in support of. However, the problem is people rely on them too much instead of using them as an aid to their own driving skills. I have zero problem with automatic braking, I love the idea. Same with parallel parking. But drivers should still know how to drive on their own.

 

[JaxDad]

If they got rid of power steering and automatic transmissions, we'd see a lot fewer people texting and talking on the phone while they drive. They'd have their hands full just driving. Of course, that wouldn't stop them from texting at the red light and holding up everyone behind them when they don't realize it turned green.

 

[kdonnel]

If they got rid of automatic steering and automatic transmissions, we'd see a lot fewer people texting and talking on the phone while they drive. They'd have their hands full just driving. Of course, that wouldn't stop them from texting at the red light and holding up everyone behind them when they don't realize it turned green.

Nothing will stop people from using their phones while driving.

 

[JaxDad]

Nothing will stop people from using their phones while driving.

One thing will. I just hope they don't take others with them.

 

[xlxo]

Thoughts....

• I did not get it for my current vehicle because of the price and concern about the servo's failing. Will likely get it when it's available for the base model.
• automatic parking is done at low speeds and great for tight parking spots.
• automatic braking is ideal as I'm approaching my senior years.
• I like the idea of automatic cruise control slowing down when someone cuts me off on the freeway and speeds up again
• would love to have an automatic low-speed "creep" mode in heavy congested traffic.
• there's been a few incidents where there have been crashes due to bright sunlight messing up sensors
• shadows and potholes are a great limitation in high speed automated driving. Snow does not help as sensors get confused with lane markings that are covered up.

 

[sam_gordon]

There's automatic steering?

 

[JaxDad]

There's automatic steering?

Oops! Fixed.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I would never buy a car because it had automatic braking or parallel parking, and I would hate to buy a car that had these things knowing I wouldn't use them. The idea of self-driving cars makes me very nervous.
If you're drunk, but your car is driving, can you be liable? Do you even need a license? There are things I wonder about.

I think that the same laws will still apply at first. If car crashes and person is drunk, basic driving laws will apply. If it never crashes, probably can get away with it, just as it is today. Nothing will change there.

I want car with BLUETOOTH. My dd's BF just bought a brand new Prius. So cool.

Right now I have to settle with my Bluetooth speaker.

 

[DLgal]

These new features serve two good purposes.

1. They lower your insurance premiums SIGNIFICANTLY.

2. They help prevent accidents when people are being distracted drivers (which there are a LOT of these days).

My husband recently got a new Civic with all those safety technology bells and whistles. Our insurance premiums, on a BRAND NEW car that was replacing a 9 year old Honda Fit were about $300/year lower. It blew my mind. Kind of makes me want to upgrade my 2007 CRV...

My husband has a sleep disorder. He nods off sometimes while driving late in the day. That lane departure mitigation system has come in handy already. This has always been a huge worry of mine, as he commutes about 90 miles per day.

 

[Klayfish]

There's automatic steering?

Yes, actually there is. Any car that can self parallel park can automatically steer. Other high end cars can do it at higher speeds.

 

[holden]

I have a Tesla and the update that downloaded last night has a cool new feature. You can leave the air conditioning on to keep groceries cool in the car while you run another errand (car isn't running, just the air conditioning)! I was so excited when I saw that!

 

[Klayfish]

Sweet. The Nissan Leaf had that ability years ago. You could run the a/c or the heat. Just like with Tesla, you could program the car to be 74 degrees at exactly 5pm.

 

[kimblebee]

If you need automatic braking or alerts when you start veering maybe you shouldn’t be driving. All these new gadgets are making it easier for morons to be on the road.

 

[gotomu212]

If you need automatic braking or alerts when you start veering maybe you shouldn’t be driving. All these new gadgets are making it easier for morons to be on the road.

There have always been morons on the road. I’m a big fan of anything that lessens the chance that their moronic driving will kill me.

 

[xlxo]

these new gadgets are making it easier for morons to be on the road

The issue is being aware of the technology and how to use it.

• when ABS braking was introduced. It was killing people... Instead of slamming on the pedal and keep your feet there. People would pump the brakes in an emergency stop, which increased their stopping distance. Drivers were confused by the vibrations. Drivers also feel they can now drive faster and tailgate better.
• I occasionally drive relatives in rental vans with automatic doors. They think the door is closing too slowly and constantly grab the door to help it close faster. The additional forces confuse the motor and it reverses... to a point where it shuts down.

 

[DLgal]

If you need automatic braking or alerts when you start veering maybe you shouldn’t be driving. All these new gadgets are making it easier for morons to be on the road.

It's not about being a moron. My husband avoided rear ending someone who stopped short right in front of him just yesterday...because his car applied the brakes before he realized what was happening. Considering that rear end collisions are ALWAYS considered the fault of the one in the back, this is a great feature! The sensors allow the car to react faster than humans are capable of, thus preventing collisions that before were unavoidable. After it happened, my husband called me and said "this car has already paid for itself in my opinion."

In this case the OTHER driver was the moron. He stopped short for NO reason at all after being stopped at a stop sign. He started going so my husband started creeping forward and the guy slammed on his brakes even though his path was totally clear. I suspect he was trying to get rear ended...

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have a Tesla and the update that downloaded last night has a cool new feature. You can leave the air conditioning on to keep groceries cool in the car while you run another errand (car isn't running, just the air conditioning)! I was so excited when I saw that!

How COOL! (lol)

What about pets? Better make sure to have a notification on that the AC is on and the pets are safely chilled. NOW THAT would be an awesome feature.