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This passed me by with the new Focus. After engaging adaptive cruise control in an automatic Focus, and assuming "lane keeping aid" is fitted (which applies gentle steering to keep you in lane), what stops you reading the paper instead?
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As with trucks, especially night trunkers stuck at 54mph, Boredom is going to be the killer, slipping into that gentle snooze whilst the jolly clever vehicle does it all for you.
zzz...BANG.
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Doesn't the lane keeping system rely on the lanes being marked with white lines? A lot of them aren't ISTR. A colleague comments favourably on the auto parking feature, as a novelty at least.
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Honda's Legend actually could drive along carriageways but due to legal concerns that taking control from the driver could make Honda legally accountable for the consequences - thus it would turn off if there was no steering wheel input detected after 18 seconds or so.
www.streetfire.net/video/set-the-cruise-control-get-out-through-sunroof-and_4753.htm
(big link left so you know what it is)
Last edited by: Lygonos on Tue 19 Apr 11 at 21:21
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Lane assist, park assist and adaptive cruise control were all available on the Passat I ordered.
1. Lane assist would gently keep the steering going ahead unless you indicated. So if you needed to change lane in a hurry it would fight you... or you had to indicate.
2. Park assist failed to park where I tried it due to obstructions one could deal with. I've worked out how (without a camera) it does it and why it will park in a space smaller than most of us would try... it relies on the sensors to work out when the back and then front have passed the car. Trouble is it won't adapt and use more space when necessary, e,g. a bollard or tree on the side of the pavement.
3. Adaptive cruise control - would never trust that. And in a manual car cannot see it being as useful.
Would not go for any of the above. I put the money towards more useful things like bi-xenons and a 170PS engine ;-)
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>> (big link left so you know what it is)
Wasn't long enough to require shrinking, but if it was, there's nothing stopping you putting the first part of the web site domain in brackets at the end to let people know where it points to.
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The LKA in the Accord was a thing of fear. Yes, it keeps you straight, but as pointed out, try to change lanes without indicating and it fights back. After 8 seconds of not touching the wheel it beeps and turns itself off.
But worse - it keeps you well to the left of the lane. So in the middle lane, overtaking a lorry, when we used the LKA Mrs C was in constant squeak mode as it was about three inches from the lorry and kept itself there. Not a success.
Adaptive cruise, though, on a single carriageway with traffic, is a joy and I'd have that option in a heartbeat.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Wed 20 Apr 11 at 08:20
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Not had any of these features in a car, but would enjoy the parking (something I hate doing as I don't have full 3d vision). Also for the same reasons the "radar" things that some cars have, including the new Focus that helps stop you carrearing in to the car in front sounds good. Oh, weirdly, the eyesight thing doesn't require DVLA notification and I can't catch a ball to save my life!
I also like the idea of speed sign look out.
The problem with all of these is that they could "cocoon" the driver in to a false sense of security and therefore the manufactures should look at ways of keeping drivers alert.
These are all early versions of the tech. Give them a few more years and they will get better.
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All the features mentioned above have been in every car I have owned since I started driving in the seventies, even my Reliant Regal had them as did all of the bikes.
They are contained in a clever little box of tricks located between my ears...
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Very true, but we don't always take our halo with us and get distracted and mistakes do happen!
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>> Very true, but we don't always take our halo with us and get distracted and
>> mistakes do happen!
>>
The brain is a muscle, zippy.
Stop using it and it will wither away like any other, and then one day when our little electronic gizmo has a hicup...
Last edited by: Robin Regal on Wed 20 Apr 11 at 12:11
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>> >> Very true, but we don't always take our halo with us and get distracted
>> and
>> >> mistakes do happen!
>> >>
>> The brain is a muscle, zippy.
>>
>> Stop using it and it will wither away like any other, and then one day
>> when our little electronic gizmo has a hicup...
>>
You only have to see what mishaps occur when people blindly follow satnav to know what carnage will ensue from more of these automated driving gadgets. The americans will do it first.
Although I suppose it is Darwinism at work so perhaps it should be applauded as a good way of removing the moronic masses :-)
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Ford - New Focus - Can drive itself on the motorway - -
