Small rant about new car feature

You guys getting mad about this stuff being available sound like that guy the other week that was mad that electric cars exist since they wouldn't work for him.

In reply to gearheadmb :

The aggravation here isn't that the folks saying this don't want them. The aggravation is that there is basis to think they're making the general populace feel less like they need to pay attention, which results in unnecessarily dead people.

Even if the longer game is that these systems do reduce injuries and fatalities, in the meantime they should at least try to promote them by means other than saying "now you can devote your full attention to the crossword and breakfast sandwich while driving."

In reply to Ransom :

Well, we can tell cars to stop themselves, which they will do. Or we can tell people to pay attention, which they wont do. A local farmer is dead because a woman in an Escalade slammed into the back of his tractor at 60 mph while shopping on her phone. She didn't have any auto stop and it didn't make her pay attention. 

In reply to gearheadmb :

As noted in the establishing gripes, what we probably shouldn't do is tell people they don't even need to pay attention. The ad described earlier was selling auto-stop, but the basic message was "It's perfectly reasonable for you to be paying no attention." Doing it to sell auto-stop, but the message regarding what society expects of drivers is important.

To be fair, most car ads are pretty bad. Remember the Highlander ads with the bratty kid?

If they're going to show off a safety feature by demonstrating improper use of the product the least they can do is be clear about it. When airbags came about did they run ads showing a driver plowing headlong into a concrete barrier while reading the newspaper and then saying "this airbag saved my life, thanks Buick!"

When I get behind the wheel I am driving, not playing with gadgets,

My cell phone is is in my pocket and off.

My mirrors are properly adjusted and used. Keep tract of what is behind me and coming alongside.

I watch traffic a good distance ahead .

My cruise control is semi-automatic.  If I need to slow,a tap on the brake or a flick of the thumb turns it off,another flick turns it back on.

I always use my direction signals.

I keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.  Anybody remember the two second rule ?

Well, that is just old fashioned me.

I will say one thing for the nannies.. I am seeing less and less people people practically driving on the shoulder now.