Backdoor kill-switches in every car by 2026

That feature where you tap the blinker and it will then give 3 blinks? is that for lazy people?
It's considered a high end feature that many cars have now. Avoids the blinker on for miles when people forget to shut it off.
First i've heard of this, didn't know it was out there.
It's in my 2011 Mercedes E-350. Came out standard in 2010 on the line. Many other new cars have it as a feature although other cars may do it differently. I thought there was one that had a camera that watched your eyelids or head motion. I read up on mine to figure out how it worked, it basically monitors your driving and then when you deviate from it like quick sudden reactions instead of smooth ones, it flashes an alert. Wouldn't take too much to have a dash cam with some license plate tech and then when the guy in front of you starts weaving, it automatically sends the info to the cops and they shut him down automatically. Or at least that's the dream in a police state. Or you'll just have autonomous cars so no one needs to drive anymore.
 
That feature where you tap the blinker and it will then give 3 blinks? is that for lazy people?
I really hate that and turned it off.

I learned to drive in Massachusetts where we use the blinker to announce that we are moving into this lane, NOW. Three blinks are two too many.

The radar cruise on my wife's Toyota shut down when the bumper got pasted with wet snow. My Toyota still talks to headquarters with info like its VIN and GPS position. It's in the TOS that Toyota Financial might get to use this info.
 
It's considered a high end feature that many cars have now. Avoids the blinker on for miles when people forget to shut it off.
Misses my point--sk_pete was complaining about automation, I questioned to what level. I personally like that feature, although my current car goes one step better, and it will do 2, 3 or 4 blinks. [Granted, I have to hold down the stalk but that still counts, right?]

I really hate that and turned it off.
Made the mistake of driving my wife's car without reading all 500 pages of the manual. Turns out: it has it too! I suspect I was holding down the blinking for the 3 blinks and didn't realize it for the first hour or three, then got wicked confused when it was blinking on me--wound up indicating the wrong way, trying to cancel. The ever-so-helpful wife then informed me that her car has that feature.

We might disable the radar adaptive cruise with its 5 car lengths or whatever, down to its min, it's just not working for me, and wife doesn't use cruise anyhow. We had to disable, while driving, the feature where it decides to slow down cruise--because of curve in the road. ???? talk about useless.
 
I really hate that and turned it off.

I learned to drive in Massachusetts where we use the blinker to announce that we are moving into this lane, NOW. Three blinks are two too many.

The radar cruise on my wife's Toyota shut down when the bumper got pasted with wet snow. My Toyota still talks to headquarters with info like its VIN and GPS position. It's in the TOS that Toyota Financial might get to use this info.
You only really need one. Some people use their blinkers to ask permission, here it's to let people know. Otherwise when two people don't use it, it's crazy on the highway when two people try to merge into the same spot from opposite lanes and neither signals. If you have to ask permission, here the answer is no as the other car speeds up to fill the gap. To switch lanes, you need to see a gap first, then signal and move into it. If you want no gap, signal when there's no gap and no gap will ever open up.
 
Oh and if you combine drowsiness detection with lane change, blind spot detection, lane keeping, GPS and speed, it wouldn't take too long to figure out that you're not driving too well. That would just mean those features would end up being standard on a car so you can have the software figure out if you're driving like a drunken sot.

I rented a car recently and it has the reminder to check the back seat so you don't forget a kid. I guess it keeps track of whether you open the back passenger doors or not. Annoying when you're just keeping stuff in the back seat.

This is basically a small percentage of the population ruining it for everyone else. I think like 10% of the population drinks enough every week to be considered an alcoholic. An even smaller percentage of that 10% are the ones driving while drunk. And those are the ones we're trying to get off the road and the rest of us will all pay to have these systems standard.
 
I think like 10% of the population drinks enough every week to be considered an alcoholic.
I don't think this is the link you are talking about it, I recall seeing it more recent than this, but basically I think this is what you are alluding to.

Do you drink a glass of wine with dinner every night? That puts you in the top 30 percent of American adults in terms of per-capita alcohol consumption. If you drink two glasses, that would put you in the top 20 percent.

But in order to break into the top 10 percent of American drinkers, you would need to drink more than two bottles of wine with every dinner. And you'd still be below-average among those top 10 percenters.
The top 10 percent of American drinkers - 24 million adults over age 18 - consume, on average, 74 alcoholic drinks per week. That works out to a little more than four-and-a-half 750 ml bottles of Jack Daniels, 18 bottles of wine, or three 24-can cases of beer. In one week.

Or, if you prefer, 10 drinks per day.
 
I was just thinking, GPS. Been a while since I watched Top Gear but I thought I saw, on there or maybe elsewhere, one of the super cars was just like that: its GPS "knew" where all the tracks where, and thus would disable the nannies when on the track.

Nissan GT-R

@ 1:00

 
I don't think this is the link you are talking about it, I recall seeing it more recent than this, but basically I think this is what you are alluding to.
Yes, that's the one. I guess maybe make that 20% as I think the definition is that if you do more than 14 a week you're an alcoholic so if the top 90% is also over 15 drinks a week then yeah about 20% of the population are alcoholics.
 
It's really a sliding amount, isn't it? I mean, who complains about automatic spark control or EFI? Most like rowing their own gears... until they are in a city, then that automatic transmission doesn't sound so bad. That feature where you tap the blinker and it will then give 3 blinks? is that for lazy people?
i got the point, but i think this is apples vs oranges.
car ownership is about *actual driving*, fun, enjoyment, and being responsible for taking every decision behind wheel.
because you are the driver, you are in charge.
if people don´t want to be responsible, or doesn´t want to drive the car; then you can just sit down in metro, taxi, or bus.
imho, it makes no financial sense to own a car that *you* don´t (like to) drive.:)
 
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i got the point, but i think this is apples vs oranges.
car ownership is about *actual driving*, fun, enjoyment, and being responsible for taking every decision behind wheel.
because you are the driver, you are in charge.
if people don´t want to be responsible, or doesn´t want to drive the car; then you can just sit down in metro, taxi, or bus.
imho, it makes no financial sense to own a car that *you* don´t (like to) drive.:)
Doesn't work that way over here. I know of a few family members who got licenses against their will and will do what they can to get out of driving. No enjoyment, just a means to an end.

While I agree with the bits about being responsible for all decisions, and being in charge, IMO the enjoyment aspect is a completely separate issue. You can own a car you hate, drive it plenty, and still be a responsible driver. Emotions don't have to influence actions.
 
if people don´t want to be responsible, or doesn´t want to drive the car; then you can just sit down in metro, taxi, or bus.
imho, it makes no financial sense to own a car that *you* don´t (like to) drive.:)
Only in and between, bigger cities in N.A. Public transport is pretty minimal here in most areas compared to Europe and taxi's get expensive between small towns.
I'm sure at some point in the future, there will be fully automated transportation pods that zip you around much faster and safer than what we have now. Lots of fun and freedom going on here! lol
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Vehicle fatalities are still a leading cause of death in this country.

If you think this is only cities, you're dead wrong.
So many rural state highways and interstates where fatalities are occurring. I read about them in the news on a daily basis.
 
Pretty simple: don't want these types of devices in your vehicles? Convince your fellow citizens to take impaired driving seriously and actually punish people convicted of it.

Looking at the police blotter here it's pretty clear that as a society there is a sizeable percentage of folks who don't take it seriously. No excuse with uber/lyft in this area. I'll stop there so as to not cross a moderation line...
 
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imho, it makes no financial sense to own a car that *you* don´t (like to) drive.:)

I think you dramatically underestimate the number of drivers who view driving as a chore or just something that has to be done - not something to be enjoyed. Particularly on an automotive themed board it's easy to think everyone enjoys driving. Plenty of folks dont.
 
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