I hate new car driver aids

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Originally Posted by MCompact
Originally Posted by Wolf359

It's funny how you despise the aids but the radar detector is an aid. Try driving without it. I've always drove without it. Makes you more alert. Don't speed when the sight lines aren't good, around curves, don't lead, etc. Oh and don't drive too fast. Haven't had a ticket in years. I remember a friend of mine who had one, detector went off and he said he it false alarms there all the time at that area. Cop was right there, he got a ticket. I guess they know the areas where it false alarms too. Gave him a false sense of security and he was driving fast for no particular reason.

Remember, be alert, the world needs more lerts.


At a BMW CCA Tech event years ago an F4 pilot by the name of Clyde Romero(he was also a helicopter pilot in Vietnam) taught a seminar on how to drive fast and not get tickets. He opened with, "How many people here have a radar detector?" All hands were raised. He followed with, "How many people got a ticket within a month after buying it?" 90% of the hands were raised. Clyde emphasized a detector is just one tool in your arsenal. I used his techniques on the Louisville-Cincinnati run I made almost weekly in the early '80s- and never got a ticket, although I averaged 80 mph door to door despite the moronic 55 mph NMSL being in effect.
I want driving aids that do something I can't- like ABS or parking sensors. I can't control the braking at each individual wheel, or see what's out of sight but in front of my bumper.
Contrast that with blind spot monitoring or lane departure- those are crutches for the inattentive or inept.

Speeding is an art. I've found that changing lanes over greater distance helps, as does being mindful of topography, and making sure not to contrast yourself next to a much slower vehicle on a pass. Slow to pass even, at times. Speeding is a lot like striking art fights. Depth, perception of movement, etc.
 
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Radar detectors don't make you immune, and watching traffic patterns only goes so far. I can't see the cop blasting radar hiding at the scales a half mile away, but my radar detector can.


That just gives you a false sense of security. If you can't see him, slow down and don't pass anyone.

Also google maps lately has been warning about speed traps half the time. You only need the detector the other half of the time...
 
Originally Posted by samven
I would not mind safety additions as long as the driver can disable them when wanted and that when they break or malfunction they dont disable my car or put it into some kind of limp mode. 2 things that people better realize as these things become more prevalent.



This!

Too many car mfrs are not allowing you to disable these nannies if you wish, I don't care what it is ABS, even airbags, if I own it I want total control of it.

After all we all know now that airbags can kill you by accident with defective and aging components.
 
Blah, blah, all these people worried about their masculinity, alligator mouths and hummingbird [censored]es.
lol.gif

My 2017 Regal GS 2.0T has all the bells and whistles and they work for me, if it bothers you that much go and find an old 50's Ford or Chevy with an old 6 cyl with three on the tree and drum brakes and conquer the roads.
crackmeup2.gif
 
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Radar detectors don't make you immune, and watching traffic patterns only goes so far. I can't see the cop blasting radar hiding at the scales a half mile away, but my radar detector can.


That just gives you a false sense of security. If you can't see him, slow down and don't pass anyone.

Also google maps lately has been warning about speed traps half the time. You only need the detector the other half of the time...


Not sure how it's a false sense of security, I get a Ka band alert I know there is a cop ahead long before I see them. Add in the arrows and the nice scale that shows the front and rear antenna signal levels, I have a pretty good idea where they are. You don't need anything beyond Ka alert=definitely a cop though.

[Linked Image]
 
Driver aids-
I don't own anything at this time that triggers curmudgeon-ness but I DO understand.
cool.gif

From my days of the Jeeper and manual locking hubs, I do like the set and forget 4X systems of early to mid 90's and the newer sensing one's just because I don't do dedicated 4-wheeling and find the control and confidence works pretty well without fuss and just being cognizant of not over driving the system or the road conditions. You can't think they are foolproof. Beyond that tech, I consider the structure of the newer stuff, tests and ratings as the key safety mitigation benefits.
I'm not feeling better about the idea a sloppy or sleepy driver taking a mulligan- Feeling incentivized in the least to place more trust in these systems to save his/her mistakes, life, mine or that of others.

Originally Posted by MCompact
Originally Posted by Wolf359

It's funny how you despise the aids but the radar detector is an aid. Try driving without it. I've always drove without it. Makes you more alert. Don't speed when the sight lines aren't good, around curves, don't lead, etc. Oh and don't drive too fast. Haven't had a ticket in years. I remember a friend of mine who had one, detector went off and he said he it false alarms there all the time at that area. Cop was right there, he got a ticket. I guess they know the areas where it false alarms too. Gave him a false sense of security and he was driving fast for no particular reason.

Remember, be alert, the world needs more lerts.


At a BMW CCA Tech event years ago an F4 pilot by the name of Clyde Romero(he was also a helicopter pilot in Vietnam) taught a seminar on how to drive fast and not get tickets. He opened with, "How many people here have a radar detector?" All hands were raised. He followed with, "How many people got a ticket within a month after buying it?" 90% of the hands were raised. Clyde emphasized a detector is just one tool in your arsenal. I used his techniques on the Louisville-Cincinnati run I made almost weekly in the early '80s- and never got a ticket, although I averaged 80 mph door to door despite the moronic 55 mph NMSL being in effect.
I want driving aids that do something I can't- like ABS or parking sensors. I can't control the braking at each individual wheel, or see what's out of sight but in front of my bumper.
Contrast that with blind spot monitoring or lane departure- those are crutches for the inattentive or inept.


That is really interesting and I assume part of it like many things is our knee-jerk ideas of how (we think) things work yet isn't correct or as intuitive as we put our faith into.
Could you throw us a few tidbits about it ?

Originally Posted by Ws6

Speeding is an art. I've found that changing lanes over greater distance helps, as does being mindful of topography, and making sure not to contrast yourself next to a much slower vehicle on a pass. Slow to pass even, at times. Speeding is a lot like striking art fights. Depth, perception of movement, etc.


For sure, this is part of it from my experiences. Smooth, undramatic passage, incognito. Avoid the drama of "hissy fit" others.
Most of my hwy driving was/is fairly pleasurable just due to the effect respectable driving behaviors bring a presence of others within the sphere. A small group of like-minded operators can do pretty well. I've traveled in these pockets or "packs" with others over hundreds of miles at a time.
 
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Originally Posted by Nick1994
Everyone complains about this stuff, but you can turn it off easily...

I have the blind spot alarms off, just the lights in the mirrors are turned on and it vibrates the steering wheel if someone is close and I change lanes.

I can easily turn off my lane departure assist, forward collision warning and braking, rear cross traffic warning, etc.


Yep … the Tahoe is loaded with all the stuff folks either like or not. She has not asked me to turn off any. She did ask me to replace a vehicle that had blind spots and no assistance. All the features work as intended.
My Z71 is more basic … no sonar in front and nobody hiding in the dash tugging on the steering wheel (that one a bit annoying, but showed me I drift a bit). Has the rear sensors and camera + modern brakes and roll protection. It's a single cab … and I stuck the good old domes on the mirrors. It's like being in a cockpit after all my 4 door LT's.
Both pair phones for hands free, have voice aided navigation, OnStar, XM, and WiFi that has been great during my work from home period.
I think each is about right for each driver … Remember … sometimes they are hauling those teens mentioned by the OP and that my friends is a distraction for sure.
 
Originally Posted by MCompact
Originally Posted by Wolf359

It's funny how you despise the aids but the radar detector is an aid. Try driving without it. I've always drove without it. Makes you more alert. Don't speed when the sight lines aren't good, around curves, don't lead, etc. Oh and don't drive too fast. Haven't had a ticket in years. I remember a friend of mine who had one, detector went off and he said he it false alarms there all the time at that area. Cop was right there, he got a ticket. I guess they know the areas where it false alarms too. Gave him a false sense of security and he was driving fast for no particular reason.

Remember, be alert, the world needs more lerts.


At a BMW CCA Tech event years ago an F4 pilot by the name of Clyde Romero(he was also a helicopter pilot in Vietnam) taught a seminar on how to drive fast and not get tickets. He opened with, "How many people here have a radar detector?" All hands were raised. He followed with, "How many people got a ticket within a month after buying it?" 90% of the hands were raised. Clyde emphasized a detector is just one tool in your arsenal. I used his techniques on the Louisville-Cincinnati run I made almost weekly in the early '80s- and never got a ticket, although I averaged 80 mph door to door despite the moronic 55 mph NMSL being in effect.
I want driving aids that do something I can't- like ABS or parking sensors. I can't control the braking at each individual wheel, or see what's out of sight but in front of my bumper.
Contrast that with blind spot monitoring or lane departure- those are crutches for the inattentive or inept.


I'M hooked. Cliff notes? I have my own techniques myself, which have been successful, so I'm really curious
 
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Radar detectors don't make you immune, and watching traffic patterns only goes so far. I can't see the cop blasting radar hiding at the scales a half mile away, but my radar detector can.


That just gives you a false sense of security. If you can't see him, slow down and don't pass anyone.

Also google maps lately has been warning about speed traps half the time. You only need the detector the other half of the time...


Not sure how it's a false sense of security, I get a Ka band alert I know there is a cop ahead long before I see them. Add in the arrows and the nice scale that shows the front and rear antenna signal levels, I have a pretty good idea where they are. You don't need anything beyond Ka alert=definitely a cop though.

[Linked Image]



LIDAR is the killer though
 
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by Touring5
The only new "aid" I've ever used was a backup camera in a loaner Subaru from the dealer. I was surprised how useful it was, but probably because it was a car I was unfamiliar with.

I despise all the "anti-collision" features that other cars have for 1 single reason: they've rendered my Valentine One into a practically useless paper weight.


It's funny how you despise the aids but the radar detector is an aid. Try driving without it. I've always drove without it. Makes you more alert. Don't speed when the sight lines aren't good, around curves, don't lead, etc. Oh and don't drive too fast. Haven't had a ticket in years. I remember a friend of mine who had one, detector went off and he said he it false alarms there all the time at that area. Cop was right there, he got a ticket. I guess they know the areas where it false alarms too. Gave him a false sense of security and he was driving fast for no particular reason.

Remember, be alert, the world needs more lerts.


I removed the V1 from the car a couple of years ago, so I am very familiar with "driving without one" (btw, in 40+ years of driving I've been ticketed once and it wasn't speed related and occurred in 1978). No offense, but I'm familiar with how to drive. If you've ever driven on heavily travelled, rush hour interstate highways, you know that driving the speed limit puts you in danger. So, while keeping with the flow it's not unusual to be running 10 mph over the limit (or more). In doing so, you are still liable to being ticketed if you're the unlucky one. I see a significant difference in using an "aid" that is passive and affects no one else on the road versus one that blasts out radar waves and impacts how another person operates their vehicle.
 
Originally Posted by Malo83
Blah, blah, all these people worried about their masculinity, alligator mouths and hummingbird [censored]es.
lol.gif

My 2017 Regal GS 2.0T has all the bells and whistles and they work for me, if it bothers you that much go and find an old 50's Ford or Chevy with an old 6 cyl with three on the tree and drum brakes and conquer the roads.
crackmeup2.gif



Astute and articulate observations from a true automotive enthusiast. Thank you!
 
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl

I'M hooked. Cliff notes? I have my own techniques myself, which have been successful, so I'm really curious


Romero's advice was primarily aimed at drivers who traveled the same route on a frequent basis. Once you know the route and the terrain you can pretty much ID where the police will try and ambush you- hidden on-ramps, behind bridge abutments, etc. Where are the pacing markings for aircraft? Overpasses where LIDAR can be used? How far down the road can you see? I remember he said he used the cruise control on his 635 CSI but kept his right foot hovered over the brake pedal so he could hammer it at the first induction of a bogey.
 
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl


LIDAR is the killer though


Yep. All the detector is good for there is alerting you that you're busted
lol.gif
Luckily, they don't run LIDAR out here, I've even come across a few cops using K band still
crazy2.gif
 
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Not sure how it's a false sense of security, I get a Ka band alert I know there is a cop ahead long before I see them. Add in the arrows and the nice scale that shows the front and rear antenna signal levels, I have a pretty good idea where they are. You don't need anything beyond Ka alert=definitely a cop though.


False sense of security because people don't pay attention. That doesn't account for when they get you from behind. Many times they've blown past me probably doing 90+ when I'm doing 70+. They'll catch up to you from behind without running radar.

Around here the cops play a game in the left lane. It's fun watching because sometimes it takes a while or a long while before the guy realizes that there's a cop behind him. Once in a while when they tire of it, they'll flash the lights, the guy moves over and the cop just passes him.
 
Since I don't have X-ray vision through my rear seats and trunk, I love my backup camera ðŸ‘ðŸ»
 
I'm going to buy a horse and carriage so I can complain about tech.
 
Originally Posted by Pew
I'm going to buy a horse and carriage so I can complain about tech.


Read the reviews on birch spokes. They really seem to rate high for a compliant ride.
 
Originally Posted by bachman
Originally Posted by Pew
I'm going to buy a horse and carriage so I can complain about tech.


Read the reviews on birch spokes. They really seem to rate high for a compliant ride.


Also, you will need an extra large bumper. And better stopping shoes for the horsey.
For when the speeding texting (let's call it Mule) driving behind will slip on (horse behind organic matter).
 
some of the gadgets are not needed, that said back in the day almost everyone said automatic transmissions were for idiots who could not 'feel' the road.
 
Originally Posted by pandus13
Originally Posted by bachman
Originally Posted by Pew
I'm going to buy a horse and carriage so I can complain about tech.


Read the reviews on birch spokes. They really seem to rate high for a compliant ride.


Also, you will need an extra large bumper. And better stopping shoes for the horsey.
For when the speeding texting (let's call it Mule) driving behind will slip on (horse behind organic matter).


I think on the plus side you can ride drunk, the horse will know the way home.
 
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