I was thinking of giving this blog the following titles: “Technology will be the death of us” or “Useless technology we pay for.”
I thought about it, then was reminded of a comment I got in one of my reviews. The commenter was in the market for a new car and when he found out that the stability control system in the car he was interested in could not be shut off manually, he got very upset.
As with anything in our lives, we adapt, get used to whatever crap is thrown our way by those that supposedly look out for our best interests. When I first started my career as an Auto Journo, cars equipped with ABS brakes were few and reasonably far between. Stability control was reserved for $100k cars only.
Over the years, I've made peace with these safety devices and have even come to appreciate what stability and traction control and ABS can do in dire situations. Active safety devices, though, I cannot deal with.
I was on my way to work one Thursday morning, cruising down a three-lane stretch of road, as I do every day. That week, I was at the helm of the Porsche Panamera Hybrid. Between you and I, this car does not exactly go unnoticed. All's good as it's actually warm outside for a mid-March morning; I'm happy. To my right, a late-model Mazda CX-7 GT.
As though by intuition, I suddenly spotted a dim amber light in the corner of my right eye coming from the CX-7's driver's side side-view mirror. I immediately knew what was coming; the CX-7 was moving into my lane. In a fraction of a nanosecond, my eyes scanned my rearview mirror for tailgaters – there were none – and I was on the brakes.
Thanks to the Mazda CX-7's blind-spot monitoring system, I was able to save the $128,000 Porsche from certain damage. Incidentally, my Panamera did not have this safety device. Happy, I said.
What good are lane-departure warning, blind-spot and tire pressure monitoring systems, to name a few, if we ignore them all? Worse; what if we're aware of the presence of these systems, let our guard down because we figure the car will do all the thinking and we ignore the warnings when they come up?
Sure, accident numbers may be down across North America but drivers sure as hell ain't getting any better!
The great nanny state? Technology will be the death of us? Useless technology we pay for?
Do you know what really scares me? Driving skill levels will continue to decrease. Active and passive safety systems will continue to increase in numbers. The outcome of this BS? By 2050, driving your own car will have become illegal or even impossible. If you own a late 20th or early 21st century car, you'll only be allowed to use it on a closed course.
Sounds ok, you say? Think about it! I'll be in my WRX stuck behind a slew of Toyota Prius' and Honda Insights, trying to get over 50 km/h... Oh the Humanity!
I thought about it, then was reminded of a comment I got in one of my reviews. The commenter was in the market for a new car and when he found out that the stability control system in the car he was interested in could not be shut off manually, he got very upset.
As with anything in our lives, we adapt, get used to whatever crap is thrown our way by those that supposedly look out for our best interests. When I first started my career as an Auto Journo, cars equipped with ABS brakes were few and reasonably far between. Stability control was reserved for $100k cars only.
Over the years, I've made peace with these safety devices and have even come to appreciate what stability and traction control and ABS can do in dire situations. Active safety devices, though, I cannot deal with.
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| Photo: Olivier Delorme/Auto123.com |
I was on my way to work one Thursday morning, cruising down a three-lane stretch of road, as I do every day. That week, I was at the helm of the Porsche Panamera Hybrid. Between you and I, this car does not exactly go unnoticed. All's good as it's actually warm outside for a mid-March morning; I'm happy. To my right, a late-model Mazda CX-7 GT.
As though by intuition, I suddenly spotted a dim amber light in the corner of my right eye coming from the CX-7's driver's side side-view mirror. I immediately knew what was coming; the CX-7 was moving into my lane. In a fraction of a nanosecond, my eyes scanned my rearview mirror for tailgaters – there were none – and I was on the brakes.
Thanks to the Mazda CX-7's blind-spot monitoring system, I was able to save the $128,000 Porsche from certain damage. Incidentally, my Panamera did not have this safety device. Happy, I said.
What good are lane-departure warning, blind-spot and tire pressure monitoring systems, to name a few, if we ignore them all? Worse; what if we're aware of the presence of these systems, let our guard down because we figure the car will do all the thinking and we ignore the warnings when they come up?
Sure, accident numbers may be down across North America but drivers sure as hell ain't getting any better!
The great nanny state? Technology will be the death of us? Useless technology we pay for?
Do you know what really scares me? Driving skill levels will continue to decrease. Active and passive safety systems will continue to increase in numbers. The outcome of this BS? By 2050, driving your own car will have become illegal or even impossible. If you own a late 20th or early 21st century car, you'll only be allowed to use it on a closed course.
Sounds ok, you say? Think about it! I'll be in my WRX stuck behind a slew of Toyota Prius' and Honda Insights, trying to get over 50 km/h... Oh the Humanity!