Will we see fully 'automatic' (automagic?) cars in our life time (mainly old farts like me)? What happens when you take a bunch of average drivers, put them in a car with no high-tech systems like anti-lock brakes and traction control, and ask them to drive on a safety test track? 360-degree spins (http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/01/11/todays-drivers-suffer-without-high-tech-systems/), of course. And not only do today's drivers need ABS and traction control to keep their cars under control, it also turns out most drivers can't even name the high tech safety systems that are continually saving their butts. And to make matters worse, carmakers plan to install automatic radar-based blind-spot checkers (http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/01/11/blindspot-monitoring-to-go-mainstream/) so motorists can avoid looking over their shoulders while changing lanes. Even geeks find some of these technologies scary, including Wired's Bruce Gain, who drove Mercedes' S-Class with automatic braking (http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/01/11/2007-mercedes-benz-s-class-the-ultimate-geek-car/).

Comments?

Will we see fully 'automatic' (automagic?) cars in our life time (mainly old farts like me)? What happens when you take a bunch of average drivers, put them in a car with no high-tech systems like anti-lock brakes and traction control, and ask them to drive on a safety test track? 360-degree spins (http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/01/11/todays-drivers-suffer-without-high-tech-systems/), of course. And not only do today's drivers need ABS and traction control to keep their cars under control, it also turns out most drivers can't even name the high tech safety systems that are continually saving their butts. And to make matters worse, carmakers plan to install automatic radar-based blind-spot checkers (http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/01/11/blindspot-monitoring-to-go-mainstream/) so motorists can avoid looking over their shoulders while changing lanes. Even geeks find some of these technologies scary, including Wired's Bruce Gain, who drove Mercedes' S-Class with automatic braking (http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/01/11/2007-mercedes-benz-s-class-the-ultimate-geek-car/).

Comments?

There seem to be two automotive innovation paths these days: safety enhancements, such as ABS and TC, and "features" that come about simply because the technology to implement them comes into being ("We do it because we can!"). I was talking to someone the other day about how much more reliable cars are today than they were 30-40 years ago; I remember well how much more of a crapshoot it was if your car was even going to start on a very cold morning, no matter how old (or new) it was. Cars are much better today than they used to be, but few of the most significant changes are superficial enough to be noticed and appreciated by many people, especially younger ones.

German TV recently tested a new Mercedes Benz S class with radar controlled cruise control and automatic brakes.
The system didn't work and it T-boned the target car. It got extensive TV coverage in Germany, the UK and, presumably elsewhere.
I like simple. Cars now have solutions to problems I don't recognize and reliability suffers as a result.

German TV recently tested a new Mercedes Benz S class with radar controlled cruise control and automatic brakes.
The system didn't work and it T-boned the target car. It got extensive TV coverage in Germany, the UK and, presumably elsewhere.


It doesn't bother me if something blows up during development (assuming people aren't hurt, but even then, it's ususally people who understand the risks). Knowledge grows out of failure.

The S class wasn't a development car. It's on the market now.

The S class wasn't a development car. It's on the market now.

Hey, at least they won't have to do a recall if all the cars take themselves out!

Seriously though, that's a major problem. People are bad enough drivers these days. We don't need to worry about some bonehead not bothering to reach for the brake pedal and assuming the car will stop for them. We don't need excuses to allow our driving habits and skills to decay..there's more than enough of that already.