OT: cars at traffic lights

The couple I've driven with electric handbrakes have been far quicker than that at releasing - and release automatically, so you don't have to take that extra action.

Personally, I do still prefer an conventional handbrake - less to go wrong, easily repaired if it does, no garage resetting after a pad change and you can feel that it has definitely applied.

Some Smart Cars do it - the ones with MHD (Micro Hybrid Drive), although it is really 'start stop', the not a hybrid drive. We had one. There was an, all but, imperceptible delay when the start/stop cut in. I didn't like it for other reasons - the drive was via a rubber belt and I was never comfortable with the stress it was subjected to when starting.

That said, it wasn't a normal alternator- it was built for the job.

Nor did it cut it even time the car was stationary with the engine running. The system check battery state, I think handbrake,... (We've not owner the car for nearly 3 years so I'm no sure.)

The replacement car, an Aygo, does several checks.

We also have a hybrid. When running on petrol, it also has a stop/start system. It has seamless. As was the one on our previous hybrid. I believe they use the motors as generators and starters.

Mine too, and I regard it as an anti-feature.

Let's say you're approaching a bend, and there happens to be a pedestrian walking on the path around the same bend, at some point the radar is going to point at the pedestrian, and then it may go BING!BING! and show a hazard triangle on the dashboard ... great a distraction just when you don't need one, especially if you hadn't already seen the pedestrian.

Same thing if the car in front brakes heavily, or I'm about to pull around a parked car on my side while a bus is approaching from the other direction.

All cases where I've spotted the hazard before it has, but it tries to distract me!

The car is classed as a MHEV, a somewhat pointless classification as it doesn't give it any ULEZ get out of jail points.

Mine had to be recalled for a new alternator to be fitted, the original was apparently a fire hazard, it also needed a new belt and belt tensioner (fortunately just before end of warranty).

BAS = belted alternator starter

Worse than that happened to me a few months ago going round the Kingston one-way system. There's a bit by the station where the southbound road turns sharply to the left, and at the same point is a pedestrian crossing where dozens of people congregate waiting for the traffic lights to change. I approached it in the right hand lane, at about 20mph, with the lights safely green, and as I prepared to follow the road round to the left, the car slammed the brakes on. Bang. Standstill. Probably sensed a pedestrian moving in the crowd in front on the right. I was very lucky the driver behind me was on the ball, or he'd have been straight into the back of me.

I hate these things. I don't want them. Nor do I want the engine cutout nonsense. Sometimes it cuts out when I'm coasting to a halt, and then everything stops working. At least I can switch that off, though I don't always remember. F****ng EU.

I was aware there was a recall but I thought the failure mode was belt failure and related damage on earlier ones- due to over stress caused by poor alignment of the belt path.

Ours was a later one but, even so, I was always ‘dubious’ and we used to turn off the stop / start. There was a mod to do this automatically when you turned on the ignition.

That aside, we loved the Smart Car. It was great for towing behind our motorhome.

The recall letter said water ingress leading to "chemical reactions" leading to overheating/fire. Sounds like an odd way of saying corrosion.

Much better in a hybrid. Engine goes on and off to suit itself, and I can generally never tell, at speeds much below 30, whether it's on or not. AISB, it doens't come on until 15mph or so anyway. And I get 60mpg on most trips, long or short. Long term average since new in 55.

Of course it takes driving the first 100k miles or so to pay off the extra cost of the car via the fuel savings.

..and the length of the red light on pedestrian crossings allowing the odd disabled person to cross but the able bodied person crossing is half a mile further along the pavement before the lights turn green for vehicular traffic.

Yes, mine dings at me when I am driving along the road I live on and towards a parked vehicle, knowing that I am about to swing across when I have passed the parked vehicle on the other side.

I keep turning the sensitivity down or off, but it comes back, not sure if that's when it gets serviced, or after a certain time.

On most cars, it goes back to the default every time you start the car.

Possible ... I only tend to look at the menu setting after it pisses me off.

There used to be a time when you could readily see the other lights changing and hence anticipate. Now at just about every junction I come across the crossing traffic lights are not visible. I guess this is to stop people jumping the lights. In some Asian cities there is a countdown displayed and theoretically a heavy fine for "false" (ie jumping the gun) starts.

It used to be possible to sail through all lights on green on the A4 from Hounslow to Chiswick roundabout if you got through one at 35 (speedo display) and kept it solid.

There's a similar arrangement on the A4123 Wolverhampton to Birmingham for a stretch.

Better for cars, the environment, drivers and journeys. So can't be allowed to stand.

Bath Road in Slough to Maidenhead psst the trsing estate did this in the late 60s if not earlier.

In the '80s, when visiting Cologne, we saw many traffic lights with a second white set beside them, with speeds on. The white lights would come on on the green phase and cycle through the three. Each telling you what speed to drive at to hit the next lights on green.

And is no slower than keeping a foot on the footbrake.

Though both are probably slower than the third way - using the autobrake.

When you stop the car applies a brake. When you press the accelerator the brake comes off.

Neither handbrake lever nor keeping of foot on brake pedal involved.

nib