OT. Automatic Emergency Braking

Thanks for the article.

My thoughts are that no device should take the place of a driver paying attention.

Tesla self-driving cars are one example.

Andy

Makes sense to have some sort of standards but you cannot make inventions work my congressional mandate. Can science meet the goals?

Or keep a pedestrian from wandering into the roadway.

Dean Hoffman snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news:46f450eb-bd03-425d-a307- snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

My daughter had a 2019 Mazda 3. It had that fancy AEB, but it didn't work right. It was always taking control when not needed. At the same left hand turn in our city, it would think there was an oncoming car, and would brake automatically, causing the cars behind her to almost rear-end her. It happened all the time, so she took the car to Mazda to get it fixed.

They gave her a loaner, and kept her car for nine months, always saying they had their best techs working on it. After 10 months, they admitted they hadn't had anyone working on it, and offerred a new 2020 similarly equipped car. She took the deal, but they screwed up the financing and warranty. Rather than just transferring the old financing and warranty, they issued it anew.

It took another five months to straighten it all out.

Seemed to me (concerned Dad), that Mazda didn't care much.

More technology recommendations. Alcohol/alertness monitor.

Makes sense, just require everyone pay attention. Then we could go back to 1950 designs and eliminate seat belts, air bags, bumper regulations, crumple zones and the like. Just pay attention. That would eliminate accidents and injury.

The only failproof way to survive an accident is to avoid said accident

I survived. The Gen Xers whine about boomers having it so good but they weren't there. Of course we had an excellent college loan program; you got your ass shot off in Vietnam and didn't have to worry about it.

Computer screens on the dashboard don't help. One's total attention should be on the road. Paying attention, with distractions, is alien to many people. Earbuds kill pedestrians. Staring at computer screens kill pedestrians and drivers. I'm not interested in the Fifties. I'm just interested in the here and now. Hi, Ed! I ran out of posts in the other group.

I participate on an auto forum. I'm amazed at how many people ask if album art can be displayed when using Bluetooth. Can the passenger watch a DVD? Sure, only the passenger will look. The list of potential distractions goes on.

I do have a HUD and it shows the next turn if using the navigation. That helps.

Good point. If you pay attention, look ahead, and plan ahead, you can let up on the gas long befoe you get to a traffic light, so you don't nned brakes either.

A pity my mother got rid of her Corvair.

Depending on which year it was , the rear suspension problems were eliminated . Later models used the same basic suspension as Corvettes . But it was too late , Nader had nuked the Corvair . Little known fact , the Pontiac Tempest early models used the same transaxle with a clutch up front on the motor and a solid drive line in a tube .

I've owned about 30 cars in my driving life. My '62 Corvair Monza is still my favorite for fun. Handled well and fantastic in snow.

A classic! I went to a car auction and a guy had a beautifully restored early Corvair. The bidding wasn't going well and not ever coming close to the reserve. Finally the auctioneer told the him he was free the reject the highest bid but that was what the car was really worth.

The classic car market is fickle. That year fat fenders were in. Even now Corvair restos are in the 20k range.

If you though the Corvair (auto) was unsafe at any speed, try the Corvair pickup truck....

A lot of these safety mandates are fine but have probably reached the point of diminishing return.

I remember back in the early computer days people saying if cars were like computers they would probably crash once a week.

Now we have computers on wheels. They can work fine but there are drawbacks. Even a minor accident becomes expensive because there is not only body damage but sensor and computer upset.

We have all seen the chip shortage leading to shortage of new cars causing rapid price rise.

John Deere didn't have enough inventory to show up at Husker Harvest Days.

Guess it is not surprising to see in other technology dependent sectors.