Sick of touchscreens in cars? Maybe good news is coming.
- Thread starter Tony Lockhart
- Start date
Cav
pfm Member
How many years ago was this?
Bananahead
pfm Member
I hope that the engine in my car never breaks
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
cutting42
Arrived at B4 Hacker Ergo
Probably the last time we had snow ;-)
My FIL had a V8 S type and we live on a bit of a short hill and he could never get it up the slope if we had more than a light dusting of snow.
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
Our Merc and BMW had winter tyres on spare sets of wheels. 500Nm and rwd for the Merc… not easy on slightly worn summer tyres on snurr!
Think about it, how does the system know its failed? Failure to dangerous situation (the one we really should care about) is defined as a car is in the blindspot but the system can't see it. So the only true test is to place an object in the blindspot and check the system sees it. Short of this rigorous test the system can self test some parts of of its operation but not the integrity of its full function.
In the case of similarly functional industrial light guards (which detect hands and people entering dangerous locations) the regulations require that at the start of each shift the system is tested by inserting a test batton (simulates presence of someone's hand) into the light guard. The HSE and their standards writers know this is the only way to test such a system in its entirety. According to their safety classification these safety devices have to be fail safe, have dual channel redundancy and suitably low mean times between failure.
Somehow the car manufacturers are getting away with a lower standard of system integrity testing than what is required industry. I'm guessing now, but I think this is allowed because the blindspot system is being passed off as an aid, not a safety device. The problem is the driver will soon adapt to depend completely on the blind spot detection system and stop checking over their shoulder, just like how the hydraulic press Operator trusts the light guard to make the press safe for him to enter....
I agree with you. But I have less faith in human nature, most people do what is easiest/most comfortable, and checking over their shoulder will soon be dispensed with and complete trust in a less than ideal system will become their norm for high speed lane changes. In the accident investigation the motor company will be exonerated, it was just an aid after all, driver retains overall responsibility. But that outcome doesn't prevent the accident.
SteveG
pfm Member
My wife's diesel SLK had about the same amount of torque and that was undrivable in any kind of snow. We did consider sticking cross climates on it but at the time they weren't available in the right size. It's since been replaced with a 4x4 as we encounter quite a lot of snow.
awkwardbydesign
Officially Awesome
Soon?
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Agree. I suspect that drivers who are not also motorcyclists haven't been doing this for donkeys years.Soon?
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
Self-monitoring systems have been around for decades. I really don’t care about the ins and outs of it all, but in the experience of me and everyone I know, a warning light pops up before the driver has even realised there was a problem.
“It’s amazing what they can do with technology these days” as I was told by a five year old kid twenty five years ago when I showed him how the hand dryer would start automatically when he put his hand under it.
cutting42
Arrived at B4 Hacker Ergo
Indeed, we have winter tyres for our BMW but he never saw the point of a spare set of wheels/tyres for once every few years. Just parked at the bottom of the hill when it happenned.
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
One year they were on from early November to early April. The wheels were easier to clean and slightly narrower than the standard wheels. Much better steering feel (here we go lol!) as well as grip and traction even in cold weather without ice or snow.
But, Cross Climate tyres have become a thing now, and they’re extremely good. They can be left on all year if you’re not a hoonigan in summer.
I think that its all to do with preserving a nation's economy. There are enough punters willing to pay big money for an overpowered, overweight and oversized vehicle and legislators have had their cards marked - don't mess with the countries income stream.
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
And as much as I’d love all cars to come in at less than 1,500kg, it would be an expensive rule to implement. A Golf can come in at 1,600kg, and a Pug 308 SW can hit over 1,800kg. It’s not as if you can sit in any of these cars, look around, and say “Yeah, I can remove 500kg by taking out that, that and that. They’re not needed, waste of space and money.”
clivem2
pfm Member
And most EVs would be banned. A VW ID.4 is over 2,000kg.
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
Even the little Vauxhall Corsa EV is over 1,500.
EVs have a 30% weight penalty on average over their ICE equivalents.
Incidentally, where the weight comes from in modern cars is all in the cabin. Sound damping matetials, larger more padded seats, soft-touch materials, airbags, touchscreens, loudspeakers and instruments, all the little motors in the windows, seats, etc, plus the wiring loom to keep it all working.
Air Conditioning, power steering and ABS all add weight too, as do wider tyres on bigger wheels. Big wheels are one of the major contributors to "SUV" style cars being heavier than "regular" ones.
Incidentally, where the weight comes from in modern cars is all in the cabin. Sound damping matetials, larger more padded seats, soft-touch materials, airbags, touchscreens, loudspeakers and instruments, all the little motors in the windows, seats, etc, plus the wiring loom to keep it all working.
Air Conditioning, power steering and ABS all add weight too, as do wider tyres on bigger wheels. Big wheels are one of the major contributors to "SUV" style cars being heavier than "regular" ones.