Autonomous driving aids. Do you Turn them off or leave on?

Euphemistic on 05/12/2022 - 15:48
Last edited 05/12/2022 - 15:54

Got a new vehicle a while back. It’s got the suite of safety stuff. Auto brake, lane keeper, blind spot monitor etc. I’m getting the hang of it, but the lane keeper seems a bit random in its reaction. Ether hugs the line, pushes you away from it or simply vibrates the wheel and I’m not sure which is going to happen at any time. Auto braking is OK, I just have to recalibrate my driving to allow a bigger gap so it doesn’t go off so much. Blind spot monitor has swerved me back into lane unnecessarily a couple of times while trying to change.

My vehicle has a couple of menu steps to disable it which requires the vehicle to be stopped so I never turn it off. I’ve set the auto braking to ‘near’ so it’s a bit better. Newer version of my vehicle have a single button on the steering wheel to disable the features. Doesn’t have adaptive cruise control as it’s a manual, but I’ve turned this off on other vehicles before because it never gets ty close enough to signal to other drivers you are ready to pass.

I was prompted into this thread by lane keeper trying to stop me from moving over to give a cyclist more too. Wanted to drive on the line, but steering was pushing me back to centre of lane. The cyclist was in no danger, just wanted max room for him. I know what it’s like being passed too close by cars going 50km/h faster than me.

Have you got these features? Do you disable them?

Poll Options

  • 147
    Old school. No driver aids for me
  • 7
    I turn them off every time before driving
  • 11
    I turn them off if I think of it
  • 27
    I just learn to deal with their idiosyncrasies
  • 270
    I always leave them on. They are safety features.
  • 2
    I don’t know how to disable
  • 4
    I need to check under the bonut thingy.
Automotive

Comments

  • CrispyChrispy on 05/12/2022 - 15:49
    +17

    bonut

    • casho on 06/12/2022 - 14:40
      +7

      mmm bonuts

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 05/12/2022 - 15:52
    +1

    I leave it on - my hilux has lane drift / emergency auto brake etc but I dont trust it so still do my best to be alert and drive to the conditions.
    I really dont even trust the adaptive cruise control tbh - only recently started to use it after literally decades of doing it manual and it's great but still continually monitoring it as probably just as much effort as manual.

    • Xistn on 05/12/2022 - 15:55
      +11

      Yeah my rugged X has that, turned it off after it thought oncoming traffic (in a bend) was a car in front and it activated the brakes.

      Pants were sharted that day.

      • spackbace on 05/12/2022 - 16:00

        Yeah or even cars turning into a turn lane, it'll slow right down rather than see that it's actually clear ahead

        Newer versions are becoming smarter though (Corolla Cross for instance)

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 05/12/2022 - 16:02

        damn!

        (i also maintain hilux in general these days are not made to the standard they used to be).

        • AdosHouse on 05/12/2022 - 17:27

          As someone who has to drive a pov pack new Hilux with the petrol motor, it's a bloody turd on wheel.

    • PeelThis on 07/12/2022 - 13:45
      +1

      I've turned lane assist off/yaw control off. It expects you to indicate anytime you are out of your lane to not trigger and so for passing parked cars or cyclists on single lane roads where you might normally have one tire edge over the middle lane slightly it will activate without indicators and gently try and steer you back.

      As for adaptive cruise control I see this as the best aid, takes awhile to trust and understand how it works but is awesome on freeways.
      Can adjust how close it follows and it knows when you indicate to pull out it will accelerate back up to the limit quickly.
      One thing I've found though is if the car in front slows right down before exiting their lane it will brake with quite a bit of force and won't accelerate again until the car is completely out of the lane, however for cars changing lanes doing around 10kmph less it is quite smooth.

      • spackbace on 08/12/2022 - 13:27

        One thing I've found though is if the car in front slows right down before exiting their lane it will brake with quite a bit of force and won't accelerate again until the car is completely out of the lane

        Yeah that's the one thing that bugs me with it

  • pharkurnell on 05/12/2022 - 15:54
    -2

    Its sad that people need driving aids compared to being taught to drive properly.

    YMMV

    • Lord Fart Bucket on 05/12/2022 - 15:56
      +29

      Based on some areas that i have driven in, there are not enough driving aids around.

      • pharkurnell on 05/12/2022 - 16:09
        +2

        I know, but thats the problem.. hide their shit skills instead of forcing them to learn how to drive..

        once the aids fail, they are totally intercoursed.

        • Lord Fart Bucket on 05/12/2022 - 16:11
          +9

          IMHO, the problem is that parents, who think they're great drivers, teaching their kids to drive. That, with a police force that doesn't enforce things properly. They'd rather sit and pull someone over for going 5kph over, while 10 clowns drive by with high beams on/fog lights on/no lights on…

        • YellowDieselGolf on 06/12/2022 - 19:31
          +1

          And how is that different to 10-15 years ago?

      • Ultimate Gattai on 06/12/2022 - 23:30
        +1

        Definitely, I have so many bad drivers in my town, if I wasn't paying attention I'd end up in an accident everyday because someone was being careless or can't drive to the road rules.

    • Euphemistic on 05/12/2022 - 15:56
      -5

      I agree, they are dumbing us down and make us require less attention while driving. We’re in the worst phase of a transition to autonomous driving. Car can’t do everting, but we don’t need to drive properly because it can do some stuff.

      • Muzeeb on 05/12/2022 - 15:58
        +3

        Wait for all the peanuts and muppets that think full self drive, is well, full self drive. Heaven forbid. I'll be taking a wide berth around Tesla's in the future.

        • Lord Fart Bucket on 05/12/2022 - 16:03

          Post that on twitter and Elon will send tesla's after you to run you over. Followed by a space x booster landing on your head.

    • Xistn on 05/12/2022 - 15:56

      Reactive world unfortunately.

    • spackbace on 05/12/2022 - 15:59
      +6

      That would require every country to have the same driving lessons, which clearly isn't the case.

      No different to other safety features over time (ABS, ASC, seat belts etc). All designed so that over time it's safer to be on the roads around people who get distracted, aren't great drivers etc.

      • pharkurnell on 05/12/2022 - 16:10
        +4

        … that would require every country to have the same driving lessons

        MAJOR ISSUE…
        People are not taught how to drive - they are taught how to pass a 20 minute lesson… then let go wild on the streets.

        • spackbace on 05/12/2022 - 16:12
          +1

          Yup!

          And then go to another country, with different speed limits (sometimes higher), with that same level of knowledge

          Or those who got their license 30+ years ago and have forgotten the basics, or seem to think you should indicate right when going straight through roundabouts…

          • Lord Fart Bucket on 05/12/2022 - 16:14

            @spackbace: Don't forget those like a family member i know: licence purchased in a south east asian country, converted to australian licence.

            • spackbace on 05/12/2022 - 16:30

              @Lord Fart Bucket: Yeesh

            • pharkurnell on 05/12/2022 - 16:36
              +4

              @Lord Fart Bucket: This needs to stop. You come here, you learn to drive.. if they dont like it firm faeces..

            • GG57 on 05/12/2022 - 16:54
              +1

              @Lord Fart Bucket: I thought that holders of overseas licences needed to undertake a test to get an Australian license?
              Not that Australian drivers are necessarily the best when compared to some other countries and the conditions that are regularly encountered there.

              • Jolakot on 06/12/2022 - 13:58

                @GG57: They do now, but people who did dodgy conversions weren't retroactively required to retake tests

                • richrichie on 06/12/2022 - 22:11
                  +1

                  @Jolakot: I think overseas license holders (especially from south east asia) have been asked to undertake test since early 2000s at least.
                  I clearly remember because a few SE Asian friends back in the University were failing the driving test here due to various funny reasons.
                  One was immediately failed because she forgot to turn on the machine before she tried to shift the gear (too nervous for the test, she was a fine driver as far as i can remember), while another was told to reschedule test because his car's speedometer was not clearly visible from the examiner side and he ended up having to rent a car to complete the driving test.

          • CurlCurl on 05/12/2022 - 21:58

            @spackbace: Got my licence 60 years ago sunshine. Held a HC and drove semis on and off for 40 years. and haven't forgotten the basics.

          • achew on 08/12/2022 - 11:33
            -2

            @spackbace: sounds pretty racist to me

            • spackbace on 08/12/2022 - 13:28

              @achew: Well that's a you problem, not a me problem

              I didn't specify which country to which country

    • SBOB on 05/12/2022 - 15:59
      +11

      Its sad that people need driving aids compared to being taught to drive properly.

      I know right, as before they existed there were never any car crashes…

      Personally every additional aid that doesnt inhibit regular driving is clearly just an additional safety net from the imperfect water filled lump behind the wheel, regardless of how well taught that lump may be :)

    • Stopback on 05/12/2022 - 16:00
      +1

      A human without sleep has a BAC level of .1

      There is no driving properly, when humans are involved

      • GordonD on 05/12/2022 - 18:02
        +2

        I'll quantify that for you, for the record.

        A person who hasn't slept for 16 hours's capability to drive safety - eg, time to respond to an emergency situation - is degraded about the same amount as someone who has a BAC of .05. Which is measurable, but is far less than the difference between the best and worse drivers, and less than a person who has just had an argument with someone.

      • CheapWrangler on 06/12/2022 - 17:49
        +2

        A human without sleep would have a BAC of 0.1 if they were drinking

    • DingoBilly on 05/12/2022 - 17:26
      +5

      This is a bad take.

      Would be best if cars were fully automated to reduce risk.
      Second best option is to automate as much as possible (driving aids).
      Worst option is to just "Get good at driving", because even the best drivers have accidents/don't pay 100% attention. I guarantee you make dumb decisions/poor calls every now and again that might be prevented with something beeping at you to pay attention (unless you are just a bad driver).

      I see close calls at least once a week that could be a bad accident, the more safety features you can add to cars the better.

      • pharkurnell on 05/12/2022 - 19:51
        +2

        because even the best drivers have accidents/don't pay 100% attention.

        and no computer system is fool proof - even worse when the tool behind the wheel has no clue what to do when shit goes pearshaped..

        • GrueHunter on 07/12/2022 - 18:07

          So how about we, stay with me here, I'm about to make a massive leap here, do both? We make people pass a test to get their license, and we have road rules, but we also engineer controls for roads and intersections and we also build controls into cars? And between all of those things people will be safer overall and the rate of death and injury will drop?

      • Ultimate Gattai on 06/12/2022 - 23:36
        +1

        Only once a week? You must have relatively good drivers in your area, almost everyday that I go to/from work I see someone that just narrowly almost caused an accident, or maybe my area just has exceptionally terrible drivers. I'll be very thankful if full automation ever becomes a thing and takes these people out of the equation.

    • Brianqpr on 06/12/2022 - 12:52
      +5

      While this is true, anything that reduces the chance of accidents can only be a good thing.

      Now if they can just invent a d!ckhead eliminator.

      • pharkurnell on 06/12/2022 - 12:56
        +1

        need crowd funding for that in a hurry! :) :) :)

    • provision on 06/12/2022 - 13:33

      It’s viewed as driving aids as of now however it’s really just the early implementations of the inevitable evolution of not having to drive at all for most scenarios.

    • Randolph Duke on 06/12/2022 - 13:52

      You could make that argument about any safety device or technological advancement. It would be a dumb one, but you could. This thread is a add on to this one: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/736658

  • spackbace on 05/12/2022 - 15:57
    +3

    Some cars, the lane departure can't be permanently turned off (new LC300, Hilux etc). How these behave also differs with the vehicle (electric power steering vs hydraulic).

    Personally, I turn off lane departure where possible, but I like adaptive cruise control, especially with the number of speed cameras around etc. I do turn it off when I need to show someone I want to overtake

    • trapper on 06/12/2022 - 14:22

      Pull the fuse :)

  • SBOB on 05/12/2022 - 16:00
    +5

    Wanted to drive on the line, but steering was pushing me back to centre of lane.

    is it really that strong that its 'pushing'?
    if you're going over a line, I would assume you'd indicate to show you're going over a line, in which case I would assume the lane departure wouldnt have done anything?

    • Muzeeb on 05/12/2022 - 16:01
      +3

      Clearly a BMW silly or a Camry low on blinker fluid

      • Lord Fart Bucket on 05/12/2022 - 16:05

        Clearly a BMW silly

        High yield investment playing up.

    • Euphemistic on 05/12/2022 - 16:31
      -1

      In this case I didn’t think to indicate a I wasn’t planning on changing lanes, there were no other cars around either. In a car without lane keeper I would have run along the lane markings while passing the cyclist, then returned to centre of the same lane once past.

      Not indicating? Maybe it’s something I’ll need to learn to do to work with the system.

      • GG57 on 05/12/2022 - 16:54
        +8

        That is all you need to do; indicate and it all works well.

      • CMH on 06/12/2022 - 12:22
        +9

        You are overtaking the cyclist, you ARE supposed to indicate.

        • Euphemistic on 06/12/2022 - 12:23
          +1

          Except I wasn’t overtaking. The cyclist was on the shoulder, was just giving extra room that wasn’t legally required.

          • Randolph Duke on 06/12/2022 - 13:55
            +3

            @Euphemistic: Unless you were sitting next to them at the same speed you were overtaking them.

          • Artfuldodger333 on 06/12/2022 - 15:07
            +6

            @Euphemistic: If you cross any parallel line you are meant to indicate. Simple as that.

          • Ultimate Gattai on 06/12/2022 - 23:38
            +1

            @Euphemistic: I always indicate even though I'm just giving the cyclist extra berth, I think that might be the law as well, but don't quote me for truth.

  • Drakesy on 05/12/2022 - 16:22
    +1

    I thought they were stupid (the lane keeping assist was driving me insane) i'd happily turn it off.

    Mind you the automatic breaking saved my arse once when driving work's Ford Ranger on a Freeway when a guy unexpectedly cut into my lane and broke hard.
    Bloody good it was.

  • dinglejerry on 05/12/2022 - 16:28
    +8

    With the blind spot indicators, they are handy - BUT ALWAYS CHECK YOUR BLIND SPOT MANUALLY

    • Euphemistic on 05/12/2022 - 16:32
      +1

      I haven’t learned to rely on them yet. They are still new so I’ve got to reprogram my driving habits developed since last century.

      I can imagine many new driver WILL rely on them too much.

      • GG57 on 05/12/2022 - 16:47
        +7

        I don't think you need to change your driving habits necessarily (unless they are deficient); use these new tools to complement your current skills.

        • pegaxs on 05/12/2022 - 18:36
          +3

          use these new tools to complement your current skills.

          100% this. These systems are there to augment drivers skill, not replace them.

    • Pudina Chutney on 07/12/2022 - 22:37

      What's a blind spot?

  • pegaxs on 05/12/2022 - 16:33
    +25

    All the “I’m a good driver and I don’t need them” or “they are making drivers dumber” have got it all arse about.

    I have all this shit turned on in my car, not because I can’t drive, but because of all the “I’m an awesome driver” or “we never had these things when I learned to drive in 1972” shithouse drivers turning their safety systems off.

    Most of the time, the people turning these systems off are actually the piss poor drivers that need all the help they can get because most of them suffer from Dunning Krugers.

    • Euphemistic on 05/12/2022 - 16:36
      +4

      Tend to agree. I’ll leave it on and learn to drive WITH it.

      Does make me wonder if they are out to get more $ out of us because you’ll need to get the new updated software every xxxx months and the local mechanic won’t have the right tools to do so.

    • SBOB on 05/12/2022 - 17:53
      +12

      yep, if they were perfect drivers you would assume any driver aids that correct poor or unexpected driving actions would never actually trigger :)

      • pegaxs on 05/12/2022 - 18:32
        +8

        Bingo!! If any of these "safety systems" interfere with anyone's driving, they're a shit driver. These systems are passive and run in the background. If they fire off, it's because they have a reason to, and that reason is usually "you're not as good of a driver as you think you are".

        • jzdhgkd on 07/12/2022 - 08:04
          +1

          Not always! The Audi lane assist sometimes incorrectly identifies the lane markings and vibrates because it thinks the car is going out of the lane. Though mine is from 2018 so their system is probably better nowadays

    • Mike88 on 05/12/2022 - 19:13
      +1

      In a perfect world they would be great, however in my current work vehicle I have had more close calls due to them in the past 3 months than the last 3 years.

      As an example, in certain areas the lane keep assist routinely tries to stop me merging lanes while indicating, where there is a barricade next to the lane I am entering.
      Emergency braking can be dangerous while trying to cross intersections if a car has recently passed by.

      These issues may be poor tech from the manufacturer but if I was at least able to turn them off without having to repeatedly do so every time I start the car it would not be an issue.

      • WhyAmICommenting on 07/12/2022 - 12:12

        Indicating should immediately disable lane keep. That is a major deficiency. What brand?

    • carlJack on 06/12/2022 - 12:55
      +1

      This

    • the wiz on 07/12/2022 - 21:25
      -2

      I couldn't disagree more. People who let their car make decisions for them either prefer it because they know they can't drive, or it wouldn't even occur to them that they could be disabled.

      A couple of my favourites:
      * Automatic headlights. You watch them turn on every time they drive under a bridge. They turn off and back on and off….
      * The "one touch" indicator that automatically gives 3 flashes. They can't be stopped once activated, so you see 3 flashes left then 3 flashes right then left then right then left then right while the person who is supposedly in control of the vehicle tries to correct their initial error. Also, no road rule specifies that 3 flashes is always appropriate. It's just dumb.

      I turn everything off. Even ABS brakes can be beaten by a skilled driver on a dry, sealed surface (but turning that off isn't an option, nor should it be). If you can drive properly (how many here know how to correct oversteer or know the relationship between speed and stopping distance or know which wheel is more of a danger to lock up on a motorbike?) and you really pay attention to what you are doing, all this automated crap is a distraction in an environment where 1/10 of a second can be the difference between life and death. If you can't drive, leave your robots turned on. But I'd prefer you just used public transport.

      If you need your car to tell you to stay in your lane, you are a poor driver. And there are a lot of you out there. Answer this: When you are in the far left/right lane on a three lane road and you are changing into the centre lane, do you watch vehicles in the opposite lane like a hawk to make sure they don't do the same? I do. And I make sure I'm slightly ahead of them too, because I know they won't look back.

      Motorcyclists with the Dunning-Kruger effect don't live long enough to have grandkids.

      (Edit: Spelling only.)

      • the wiz on 07/12/2022 - 23:21

        While I'm ranting, how many of you can even drive a manual transmission?

        Less than 50%?

        You are not engaged in driving at all. You have a go pedal, a stop pedal and a left/right thingy. That isn't an understanding of a 2 tonne vehicle that can kill people. That's a computer game.

        • quick-dry on 08/12/2022 - 12:17
          +1

          yes I can drive a manual, it's great for being a hoy racer and getting fast and furious with your gear shifts - it's F all to do with driving normally in modern city driving.

          But I bet most here are some nonces who don't even hand crank their car? you're simply not in tune with your car unless you use a choke, what sort of chump allows a 'computer" to fiddle with their fuel mixture? always insist on controlling a car yourself…. these "EFI people" they have a "go pedal", a … blah blah blah…

          They even banned these things in F1 because the human element is more fallible. If the auto driving driving aids weren't better it wouldn't have even been an issue because nobody would want them, ditto with clutchless mechanisms like Zero-Shift. When direct drive electric cars are normal, there is only a go pedal and a stop pedal, there are no gears or clutch.

          • the wiz on 09/12/2022 - 02:01

            @quick-dry:

            it's F all to do with driving normally in modern city driving

            Unless you ever actually have to drive one. Then you're like a turtle on its back.

            But I bet most here are some nonces who don't even hand crank their car?

            I see where this is going. If I accept that the industrial revolution occurred then I must also accept nerdy virgins programming my car to tell me what gear I should be in.

            what sort of chump allows a 'computer" to fiddle with their fuel mixture?

            Not this chump. EFI is fantastic. My superpowers are unable to accurately detect changes in temperature and pressure within an engine.

            When direct drive electric cars are normal, there is only a go pedal and a stop pedal, there are no gears or clutch.

            Gears are actually good. Gears are better than the engines that drive them.

            But none of this answers my concern that people should actually be ably to drive before they rely on technology. You know? Basic road sense? Why don't you write another smart reply? And when you do, include a guess of how many children will die on our roads before the end of the year. Merry Xmas.

            • quick-dry on 09/12/2022 - 15:47

              @the wiz: so not driving manuals is killing kids?

              driving manual via stick, or flippy paddles, or however is all well and good if you like it - but learning it won't make for better drivers on the road in the ways that matter to other road users. If anything you're likely to end up with people having more accidents because they pass their tests but are closer to their cognitive limit before they end up overloaded.

              it's an arbitrary point of what counts as "being able to drive" though. I don't think it's such a great idea that after just a few years of driving on an auto licence you are allowed to just drive a manual - particularly in major city traffic/situations.

              Basic road sense doesn't involve rev matching or operating a clutch. Yeah, kids are screwed if they can't drive manual and that is all there is - but, so? "driving manual" is a subset of "driving".

        • spackbace on 09/12/2022 - 17:52

          While I'm ranting, how many of you can even drive a manual transmission?

          Doesn't matter, fewer and fewer new cars are coming out with 3 pedals. Mainly just sports cars and commercial utes.

          Driving a manual car doesn't make you a greater driver, fyi

      • surg3on on 08/12/2022 - 08:58
        +2

        This reads like I AM A DRIVING GOD THAT IS 100% ON THE BALL EVEN IN THE LAST LEG OF A SYDNEY TO CANBERRA DRIVE. Even race drivers make mistakes.

        • the wiz on 09/12/2022 - 02:32
          -2

          Not a driving god. Just safe.

          I can read, too. Maybe that's something you could work on.

          (Unrelated to driving, I'm new here so I'm just figuring this all out. People just seem to hate on the new guy with the contrarian view. How do I make my comment look like yours? The capital letters effect really made me take notice of what you had to say. I'd like to learn how to do it. It's really cool.)

          • surg3on on 09/12/2022 - 09:09

            @the wiz: Ooh hes snarky too. You'll get along great with SlavOZ. Heres a tip. You may be a good driver but even good drivers make mistakes (that and you arent driving every car on the road). Thats what the aids are for.

  • Benoffie on 05/12/2022 - 16:35
    +3

    Some I've switched off, some I've left on. The lane keeper is also giving me the pip - I get the same annoyance when moving for a cyclist or a parked car. Fine for freeway driving, dumb for urban.

  • toomuchdogfur on 05/12/2022 - 16:44
    +16

    The aids are a bit of a nuisance sometimes, but IMHO they subtly train you to be a better driver. I always thought I was a great driver (like everyone does!) but then I got a car with lane departure warning that screamed at me every time I got too close to a lane line.

    And you know what? Over the 3 years I had that car, I heard that beeping less and less until I basically never heard it at all. It successfully trained me to be better at centering my car in the lane.

    In your case, it was good you made room for the cyclist, but the car beeped at you because you didn't have your indicator on when drifting over the line. Perhaps next time that happens, you'll just subtly remember to use your indicator to avoid triggering the beeping… and then eventually, you'll just do it natively without thinking at all!

    My current car has a more aggressive "lane assist" that will actively try to steer you back into the lane if it reckons you're about to merge into another car. I've had it false trigger twice recently during lane changes, and had to fight it a bit to complete the lane change… but eh. One day I'll forget to do a proper head turn lane check, the assist system will save me from a sideswipe and I'll forgive its occasional faults for it saving me $$$ and a major PITA.

    • GordonD on 05/12/2022 - 18:43
      +2

      I always thought I was a great driver (like everyone does!)

      Well I didn't think you were a very good driver. Sorry, just joking.

    • gimme on 06/12/2022 - 17:10
      +3

      Something to consider is that being in the center of a lane is not always the best place to be. Because not everyone is sticking to the center, there are situations where I want to be off center (within my lane) to keep away from buses/trucks/idiots etc that are slightly over the line. There are also instances where I want to be more visible or see better by moving closer to one side during the inevitable chaos that's caused when one car on a 2 lane road in semi still traffic decides to stop for an oncoming turning vehicle and those in the other lane may be oblivious to it while the turning car just blindly enters into oncoming traffic. Hands up anyone who has been in this situation either as the car in the other lane, the 'courteous' driver or the shmuck that has turned with zero visibility to oncoming traffic.

      • WhyAmICommenting on 07/12/2022 - 12:14

        So much this. Best place in lane depends - ie semi heading at you on top of the middle line.

      • spackbace on 08/12/2022 - 13:30

        Something to consider is that being in the center of a lane is not always the best place to be. Because not everyone is sticking to the center

        But if everyone kept to the centre, you'd be ok ;)

    • the wiz on 07/12/2022 - 21:42

      An automated system spent three years teaching you something you should have been able to do before you got a license.

      There's nothing subtle about something that beeps at you for three years.

      In your case, it was good you made room for the cyclist, but the car beeped at you because you didn't have your indicator on when drifting over the line. Perhaps next time that happens, you'll just subtly remember to use your indicator to avoid triggering the beeping… and then eventually, you'll just do it natively without thinking at all!

      OMG.

      Learn to ride a motorbike. You will very quickly learn exactly where you are and what is near you. Or you'll die.

  • mskeggs on 05/12/2022 - 16:46
    +1

    I want assistive features for safety, but as the stories here show, the current crop aren’t very good.
    I do believe they will improve safety statistically, but I will be a lot happier in a few years if the tools are helpful across the board, not just for poor drivers.

  • activ8newbs on 05/12/2022 - 16:51
    +2

    I literally just finished a conversation with a colleague about how much I enjoy using all these features

    Yeah they're not perfect….when I have adaptive cruise control on, it might take a second or two to catch up to the next car or instantly rev up the engine to catch up too quick to the next car…

    ….or car might hug too far too the edge of the lane

    …but nevertheless I enjoy using them. They make my life easier. I find Kia's autonomous features better than other similarly priced competitors

  • Seraphin7 on 05/12/2022 - 16:58

    I like the less obtrusive features such as radar cruise control and the lane keeping thing (whatever it's called) that can be activated in tandem with the cruise control, along with the various sensors, warning lights, etc.. It gives me that "1% of assistance" in what I'm doing anyway that can be most useful when dealing with a couple of kids and the distractions they bring, not to mention helping alert me to something I may have missed.

    The ones I don't like are the ones where the car starts to make decisions for me. For example, I'm backing out of my drive way using all relevant senses and the reversing camera, I've seen the car driving down the street, I've got them covered, I've not yet entered the line of traffic, but the car suddenly sticks the brakes on and frightens the life out of me every time.

  • mapax on 05/12/2022 - 17:18

    Surprised to see so many old schoolers that don’t even have ABS, I thought I would have been one of the few.

  • vegemite2008 on 05/12/2022 - 17:41

    In my opinion, the driving safety aids are great but they should be seen as an extra layer of driving safety. I never trust them 100% and yes, the beeping when traffic is crawling and sensors keep beeping telling me that cars are too close can be frustrating.

    I was driving in the city once and went trough an intersection with a red light camera.

    I had plenty of time to go through but a pedestrian suddenly walked in front of my car (3 meters away) and my car applied the brakes.
    Pedestrian was walking fast so I was able to continue driving after 2 seconds without getting caught.

  • GordonD on 05/12/2022 - 18:09
    +1

    There are a number of surveys around that say the various safety features are turned off up to 30% of the time. That's the result if you ask people what they do. The authoritative studies have been done by looking at what is turned off and left on when vehicles are left for servicing. Some of those studies have come back with quite high turn off numbers for some features on some brand cars, which should indicate to their manufacturers that the owners of their cars aren't happy with how well versus how intrusively the feature works.

    All those studies do not ask people whether they would prefer certain features off, but can't be bother figuring how to turn them off, or have given up doing so because they have to do it every time they start the car, so they just put up with it.

  • Mechz on 05/12/2022 - 18:18

    I keep them all on (except the fatigue monitor) and just override with force when required.

    The only one that beats me is the emergency braking that kicks in when I am try to creep in reverse and can see the passing traffic. But it thinks that loading the torque converter before pouncing on a gap needs emergency intervention.

    • the wiz on 07/12/2022 - 22:42
      -1

      just override with force when required.

      WTF? Staying in proper control of your vehicle shouldn't require force.

      How is your vehicle even legal?

      • Mechz on 07/12/2022 - 23:06

        Well, when my vehicle keeps its distance with adaptive cruise sometimes I like to override it etc. It's factory standard.

        • the wiz on 07/12/2022 - 23:12

          Fair enough. But my reply was about "force". Not just manual override.

          Edit: Car steering me right, but if I fight it hard enough I can go left. That's how I read it.

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