Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

[Hell Razor5543]

I might point out that some aids do help in unusual circumstances. When I got my first 'chosen' company car (one where I was able to select it, rather than being assigned a given car) it had, among other things, reversing sensors. It was an estate car, as we engineers carried a lot of items. One day, while I was reversing, the sensor system went off loudly, so I slammed the brakes on. A moment or two later a small child appeared in a quarterlight, followed rapidly by her mother who looked both horrified and relieved. Due to the child's lack of height it was impossible to see them out of the rear windscreen while they were that close.

[mickthemaverick]

I wouldn't disagree with that James, there is perhaps a need to define the type of driver aids I was referring to, after all in some interpretations a steering wheel could be conceived as a driving aid To clarify I would define the aids I am referring to as 'Devices designed to solve a problem that didn't really exist' Unfortunately a significant amount of gadgetry available these days would indeed qualify under that definition, robot hoovers for example!!

[MattBLancs]

Don't get me wrong, I don't think such as TPMS, parking sensors, etc are not helpful devices, just do not think they should be part of the MOT.

On the other hand, the lane departure wrestling the steering systems are unhelpful, borderline dangerous half-arsed poor technology that shouldn't be fitted in the first place!

I've also read, but thankfully have no direct experience, of the automatic "safety" braking systems which can, generally pretty rarely, suddenly and without warning trigger a spurious emergency stop!


E.g.
Seat:
https://www.tarracoforums.co.uk/threads ... -road.208/

MG:
https://www.speakev.com/threads/automat ... on.174972/

Mercedes:
https://www.aclassclub.co.uk/threads/em ... top.19631/

Nissan:
https://www.qashqaiforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=6333

The technology does not seem mature enough to be released onto the roads!

[MattBLancs]

I wouldn't disagree with that James, there is perhaps a need to define the type of driver aids I was referring to, after all in some interpretations a steering wheel could be conceived as a driving aid To clarify I would define the aids I am referring to as 'Devices designed to solve a problem that didn't really exist' Unfortunately a significant amount of gadgetry available these days would indeed qualify under that definition, robot hoovers for example!!

Robot Hoover's are in the "bit of fun" category for me, don't really solve a problem but don't really cause any harm.

Main thing is no-one is insisting we have a robot hoover and coming round annually to check it is still present, that's the kicker for me!

[myglaren]

Just heard from my daughter, on another subject, but mentioned that my grandson's girlfriend passed her test today, after a dozen tries.
They went and bought a car (she was paying)
She drove part way home, then my daughter relieved her of the reigns and completed the journey, and is going to teach her how to drive properly.
A mystery how she passed. Terrifying apparently.
Daughter is a good driver, has to be said. Also teaching her son.

[MattBLancs]

A lucky save for the new driver, hope she takes on the decent skills being offered.

[Stickyfinger]

stuff...............

The technology does not seem mature enough to be released onto the roads!

LOL, when is it ever ?

[bobins]

I've also read, but thankfully have no direct experience, of the automatic "safety" braking systems which can, generally pretty rarely, suddenly and without warning trigger a spurious emergency stop!

A few months ago there was an article on the BBC webshite about a paticularly dangerous stretch of road in East Anglia (?) Lincolnshire (?) where they were filming the road from an overbridge. Right in front of them a crash happened. It looked like the Tesla that was proceding along in the fast lane incorrectly reckoned that the car waiting to join the road in the central reservation crossing point was about to pull out in front of it. The Tesla did an automatic emergency stop in the fast ane and the poor chap behind went smack into it. From a bystander's point of view, there was very little difference between that Tesla causing the crash and a 'crash for cash' scenario.

[darbuck]

When you look at it, all the driver 'aids' like LDWS, TPMS, driver awareness/sleep detection etc etc are all there to help lousy drivers keep motoring.

I have to agree there Robin but fundamentally I prefer a more draconian approach, if a driver cannot drive safely in a pre conceived test then their license and car should be destroyed. Of course to be effective it would need to be a rule that any discretion which currently attracts 3 points will also require the test to be taken!!

A little bit extreme, I suppose if you think about it most people would prefer if every bad driver was off the road. Passing a test I think is a bad way of checking this as the driver will revert to bad habits after they have completed the required hour to pass or whatever it is now. Realistically a couple of months of monitoring would be better but then you have the problem of invasion of privacy so a clear and fair solution is difficult to identify.

As for the Tesla scenario it kind of proves the point that driver aids should not give control to the machine. It should only alert the driver to allow
the driver to deem the required corrective action i think the point of the MOT requirements its probably good intent gone a bit over board.but if someone has a disability the car may need to have those driving aids from a safety perspective and it cannot be seen to be selective to people with disabilities. That's the only logical explanation I can come up with.
I do think abs and traction control etc are great evolutions in technology so in time I suppose the idea of lane detection will become the norm for cars. Well I rambled on for longer than intended

[CitroJim]

When you look at it, all the driver 'aids' like LDWS, TPMS, driver awareness/sleep detection etc etc are all there to help lousy drivers keep motoring.

I have to agree there Robin but fundamentally I prefer a more draconian approach, if a driver cannot drive safely in a pre conceived test then their license and car should be destroyed.

That's the end of my driving career then

SUVs are just too big for our roads and infrastructure and from the viewpoint of the saddle of a bike it's very obvious most drivers of them do not have the skill or ability to drive them competently or safely...

Weekends seem to bring out the most incompetent. We saw some right howlers yesterday traversing smaller roads.

[MattBLancs]

End of 2024, rather predictably...

Hi ho hi ho, off to the tip we go!

Just the ticket for the wettest day of the past fortnight..

[CitroJim]

Magic

[MattBLancs]

Following the (VERY!) wet tip trip, a couple of diesel fill ups,

Grey 308 SW:
419.9 miles,
£70.28, 139.7 ppl, 50.31 litres = 11.1 gallons
Hence 37.9 MPG. Not brilliant but almost exclusively short trips (and a bit of trailer towing)

Blue 308 SW:
456 miles covered,
£56.41, 40.38 litres = 8.9 gallons
Hence 51.3 MPG
A few shorter trips for this one and a few longer trips. Not bad.

[MattBLancs]

It fair rained yesterday, this is what was in the big trailer (which isn't actually intended to be watertight!) when I tipped it up today.

The wood (cheap floorboards with creocoat) is doing rather well considering the awful conditions it has to put up with!
Flipping slippy though! I nearly fell on my bum when I hopped into the trailer bed to hoik the brown wheelie bins on board it yesterday, like an ice rink!!

[mickthemaverick]

You mean you haven't got one of these Matt?

Spoiler: show

BFTW