Lane keeping assist

New cars have a couple of gizmos to keep you in your lane. One is fine - a simple diagram that lights up when you drift out of your lane, left or right. Only problem - it doesn't always work. Then there's something Subaru calls Lane Keeping Assist. Unless you use your turn signals to change lanes, it takes over and tries to turn you back into the right lane. The first few times it happened, I didn't know what was going on and felt I was losing control of the car. I thought something was wrong in the steering. After reading the manual, I shut the thing off. I think its a danger to, say, bike riders who may be riding away from the curb. You ease over to give him room and guess what? The car steers itself right back - and into the cyclist. It's a creepy feeling. I used to get the same feeling flying when I switched on the autopilot and the plane went into a sharp dive to the left scaring the crap out of me. I'm all for the backup camera which also warns me if someone or something is coming from my left or right, and the blind spot warning which on this car is in a better place and larger than on my late 2015 Legacy, but this autonomous stuff is getting out of hand. If you're thinking of getting a new car, beware of this stuff. More is on the way.

Paul - the phrase "resistance is futile" comes to mind. Seems lots of folks these days are saying "let's just learn to live with it" when we talk about new auto technology.

But I'd still rather have control of the car myself. Your cyclist example is exactly what I'm talking about.

Maybe dealers should give each buyer a "how to use your car's technology" class?

Tom M.

Normally you can turn off the "land keeping" software. I know that my lane reminder has beeped a few times because it read a tar patching line on a long crack in the road, but my Impreza never tries to move my car. If it tried to change the steering at all, I would turn the system off. No gizmo is perfect, but then neither am I. And as we get older where a stroke or other health issue can occur, I prefer that my vehicle might apply the brakes if I was no longer conscious, and could hit someone without the assistance.

" I prefer that my vehicle might apply the brakes if I was no longer conscious, and could hit someone without the assistance."

Dave - not sure how to read that! How would the car know the driver is unconscious?

(I can't resist posting this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qnd-hdmgfk)

Tom M.

This is why you shouldn't own new cars.

NutmegCT said:

Dave - not sure how to read that! How would the car know the driver is unconscious?

(I can't resist posting this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qnd-hdmgfk)

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I was off line and could not answer right away Tom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACfNSqsi_mE

Of course Tom, the car does not know if I am conscious or not, but if I was no longer in control, I would hope that the car would stop itself rather than crashing into something. Too often I read of a person who had a medical crisis and ended up hitting a house or something else.

How far can technology go, seems to be no stopping it. There is a device that will set off an alarm if one nods their head, as in dozing off, while driving, could this be incorporated in a vehicles automatic braking system, probably so, but at what expense? If all the electronic safety technology was removed from the vehicles we buy today, any vehicle would probably cost 1/3rd of the stated sales price. I'm really in favor of the modern braking systems which senses the road conditions, I'm not in favor of the computer controlled steering, ( had to take my truck back to the dealer for a software update), as in my new truck and the electronic throttle control in it also, which gives very little feel of throttle pressure on ones foot. How many accidents have been recorded where this system failed and the throttle went to full open, some fatal! Maybe I'm just living in the past, but I also like to do my own work on my vehicles, this new stuff isn't designed for the home mechanic to make any adjustments. OK Rant over PJ

Let's keep our classics on the road. This way, when there is an EMP, we still will be able to drive,.

While I understand and appreciate the desire to have a car that can correct for our mistakes or react in medical emergencies, I am firmly, 100% against the self-driving, sensing, reacting cars. Yes people make mistakes. One of those mistakes would be assuming that technology will keep you safe and that you no longer have to pay attention to what you are doing.

At the time I write this there have been two fatalities attributable to Tesla's self-driving autopilot. Just last week a woman was on her phone and placed her Tesla into autopilot which ended with her having a 60 MPH rear end collision with a stopped fire truck.

To me, using technology for reminders and alerts (alarms) may be acceptable but the person in the vehicle still needs to be involved in driving and responsibly engaged. I don't want to find myself rear ended by a driver who says "It's not my fault, the car was on autopilot. You need to talk to (sue) the car company".

maynard said:

Let's keep our classics on the road. This way, when there is an EMP, we still will be able to drive,.

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Or even a nuclear war:

I'm not a big fan of self "correcting" cars, when you're hurling along at a high rate of speed you should have to pay attention. And I wonder what will happen with new drive by wire systems as they age and suffer from those who do little but change the oil every now and then. In planes that stuff works because there is much more regular and stringent maintenance than most do with their cars. What I would be in favor of is a system that blocks your cell if the car is moving, except perhaps allowing 911 or similar numbers, since I'm tired of dodging those who aren't paying attention to the road.

Our 2009 Chevy Impala announced that the traction control needed service. After a You Tube search i found it was probable the throttle body control module not the traction control.
Who knew it was a fly by wire system.
Changed the throttle body module and cleared the codes and it is happy again.

DAvid

Another Tesla accident. Hit and demolished a parked police car.

I have mixed feelings about the blind spot warning system. We had one on a Nissan Altima that we rented while in Florida. On the one hand, it is useful when someone drifts into your blind spot. On the other hand, when you're in heavy traffic, it lights up constantly.

The problem with driver technology is the same issue I have with nav systems -- people get so wrapped up into following them that they lose their situational awareness. If the system stops functioning, they have no idea where they are.

Been watching the Nissan Rogue Star Wars-themed commercial incessantly during the NBA playoffs and couldn't believe how stupid the lane device was. Seems Jalopnik agrees: https://jalopnik.com/nissans-star-wars-commercial-for-its-semi-autonomous-dr-1826492050

Get used to this stuff. There's going to be more and more of it.
The blind spot warning is great. It doesn't make noise and in heavy traffic you can just ignore it. And the backup camera should be required on all closed cars. Driving my '02 Accord, I feel lost without it. I've had a couple of accidents through the years backing into stuff I didn't see. God Forbid you run over a kid or someone's pet.

We have to remember that there is a huge portion of drivers that are really bad at it.
and nother that really don’t like driving and they are our current crop of youngsters
i know a couple of 20 something that don’t have a drivers license and could careless to get one
not even for a fantastic job to see the world

when I was young couldn’t wait!
seems they are happy to sit on a couch and watch life on less than post card window in there pocket.
so with that said anything that helps keep them in there own lane and looks out the side and back for them
and keeps them out of the hospital and others from getting killed
I can’t call a bad thing

it’s just like everything else with the “replacements” we are the ones that need to change.
and I was told so by HR’s hiring folks
it’s a changing world and for them it’s not 9 to 5
or money or driving
I was told to get over it
this is what is at the wheel in higher percentages folks
and that accident is not there fault the BLISS failed and that’s why that guy isn’t going home to his family tonight

‘My fusion has all the safety assist stuff on it
love it
we all make mistakes let’s not let it hurt a bystander just because we’re not on our game
Time is the problem here too
until there is a standard for all of this and it’s the same in on cars.
and all the rest are off the road there’s going to “bad days”

2 more years...

pdplot said:

Get used to this stuff. There's going to be more and more of it.
The blind spot warning is great. It doesn't make noise and in heavy traffic you can just ignore it. And the backup camera should be required on all closed cars. Driving my '02 Accord, I feel lost without it. I've had a couple of accidents through the years backing into stuff I didn't see. God Forbid you run over a kid or someone's pet.

Click to expand...

I installed this backup camera in my car about two years ago.... it has been the best $30 I've spent on the car. I mounted the display under the dash. Put it in reverse and the camera comes on.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VFE22EC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The display (color) is not as good as the OEM ones, but for $30 it does just fine.

Think I'll get one for the Honda.