Eyes on road? Hands on wheel?

[GMTool]

I think I know the reasons they have to make cars safer these days. Safer as far as more likely to survive a crash.
It's because you are more likely to be in a crash. There are so many buttons to push. Buttons on the mirror, on the steering wheel, all over the radio area, people texting and using cell phones, places to plug devices into, screens to watch for directions. This is all crazy.
Murphy's Law kicks my ass all the time. I can drive for miles and never take my eyes off the road, then the moment I look down at a button, a drive shaft or a deer or something will be in the road for me to run over. Nothing like that has happened to me lately. But I am just saying, I just want to drive and don't need all these buttons. Just the basic needed ones. Why do they keep adding distractions.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by GMTool

I think I know the reasons they have to make cars safer these days. Safer as far as more likely to survive a crash.
It's because you are more likely to be in a crash. There are so many buttons to push. Buttons on the mirror, on the steering wheel, all over the radio area, people texting and using cell phones, places to plug devices into, screens to watch for directions. This is all crazy.
Murphy's Law kicks my ass all the time. I can drive for miles and never take my eyes off the road, then the moment I look down at a button, a drive shaft or a deer or something will be in the road for me to run over. Nothing like that has happened to me lately. But I am just saying, I just want to drive and don't need all these buttons. Just the basic needed ones. Why do they keep adding distractions.

Thats one of the reasons why I hate the proliferation of touch screens in cars.

Buttons & knobs are reasonably easy to navigate by feel, once you become familiar with the car at least -and as long as they don't go overboard on the centre stack. But a touch screen? You have no choice but to look at it as you use it so that your finger is guided to the proper spot, then to confirm that you're in the right menu & so forth.

Also, I have 0 issue with steering wheel mounted controls for things. Actually, I like the fact that I can control my radio or cruise control with just my thumbs: it keeps my eyes on the road & my hands on the wheel.

[trewyn15]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

Thats one of the reasons why I hate the proliferation of touch screens in cars.

Buttons & knobs are reasonably easy to navigate by feel, once you become familiar with the car at least -and as long as they don't go overboard on the centre stack. But a touch screen? You have no choice but to look at it as you use it so that your finger is guided to the proper spot, then to confirm that you're in the right menu & so forth.

Also, I have 0 issue with steering wheel mounted controls for things. Actually, I like the fact that I can control my radio or cruise control with just my thumbs: it keeps my eyes on the road & my hands on the wheel.

This exactly, buttons you can feel and get the hang of, touch screens are damn near impossible to get the hang of due to it all feeling the same.

[45thAnniversary2SS]

Darn technolgical advancements....

[upflying]

You might be a Luddite.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite

"In modern usage, "Luddite" is a term describing those opposed to industrialisation, automation, computerisation or new technologies in general.[14]"

[Angrybird 12]

They need to make the cars so cell phones won't work anytime the car is in motion. Some kind of jamming of the signals... Stop the texting people! Just about every car I have seen lately that is driving erratically the driver is trying to either text or dial a cell phone....

[IBM]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

Thats one of the reasons why I hate the proliferation of touch screens in cars.

Buttons & knobs are reasonably easy to navigate by feel, once you become familiar with the car at least -and as long as they don't go overboard on the centre stack. But a touch screen? You have no choice but to look at it as you use it so that your finger is guided to the proper spot, then to confirm that you're in the right menu & so forth.

Also, I have 0 issue with steering wheel mounted controls for things. Actually, I like the fact that I can control my radio or cruise control with just my thumbs: it keeps my eyes on the road & my hands on the wheel.

+1

[DarkneSS]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

Thats one of the reasons why I hate the proliferation of touch screens in cars.

Buttons & knobs are reasonably easy to navigate by feel, once you become familiar with the car at least -and as long as they don't go overboard on the centre stack. But a touch screen? You have no choice but to look at it as you use it so that your finger is guided to the proper spot, then to confirm that you're in the right menu & so forth.

Also, I have 0 issue with steering wheel mounted controls for things. Actually, I like the fact that I can control my radio or cruise control with just my thumbs: it keeps my eyes on the road & my hands on the wheel.

+1 And just me personally, but I think people will have similar experiences, when I reach for a button or knob, 99/100 times I perform the function I wanted. Meaning if I reach t to turn the radio off, my finger always hits the button.

Touch however, I'd say I only perform the intended action correctly on the first attempt 70-90/100. Its so easy to accidentally press the wrong part of the screen, causing you to make another attempt.

Originally Posted by Angrybird 12

They need to make the cars so cell phones won't work anytime the car is in motion. Some kind of jamming of the signals... Stop the texting people! Just about every car I have seen lately that is driving erratically the driver is trying to either text or dial a cell phone....

That is impossible and unfair for people who use hands free devices. I like a government mandate requiring automotive companies to include Bluetooth standard on all vehicles.

[Trah]

i love how it is illegal for me to even touch my cell phone while driving, yet my car has a touch screen...

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by DarkneSS

+1 And just me personally, but I think people will have similar experiences, when I reach for a button or knob, 99/100 times I perform the function I wanted. Meaning if I reach t to turn the radio off, my finger always hits the button.

Touch however, I'd say I only perform the intended action correctly on the first attempt 70-90/100. Its so easy to accidentally press the wrong part of the screen, causing you to make another attempt.


That is impossible and unfair for people who use hands free devices. I like a government mandate requiring automotive companies to include Bluetooth standard on all vehicles.

The problem with using a phone while driving is that they are much more of a mental distraction than a physical one, going hands free doesn't fix that.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by DarkneSS

That is impossible and unfair for people who use hands free devices. I like a government mandate requiring automotive companies to include Bluetooth standard on all vehicles.

Even that wouldn't stop people from texting while driving. Their Bluetooth phone would need to have voice recognition texting and also would have to read incoming texts out, and with some of the abbreviations people use while texting that would be virtually impossible.

[GMTool]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

Thats one of the reasons why I hate the proliferation of touch screens in cars.
Also, I have 0 issue with steering wheel mounted controls for things. Actually, I like the fact that I can control my radio or cruise control with just my thumbs: it keeps my eyes on the road & my hands on the wheel.

Your right, the steering wheel buttons are pretty good for keeping eyes on the road.

Originally Posted by upflying

You might be a Luddite.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite

"In modern usage, "Luddite" is a term describing those opposed to industrialisation, automation, computerisation or new technologies in general.[14]"

Nothing like that, ha ha. That's funny I do like modern technology especially AC and Heat. But it wont be in my lifetime that the cars do the driving for you. Until that time comes we need technology to do eveything for us but drive. Maybe someday voice commands will control all the modern functions in a car. It just seems like the cars are safer in crashes, but with all the funtions inside the car to control, you are more likely to have a crash.

[DarkneSS]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

The problem with using a phone while driving is that they are much more of a mental distraction than a physical one, going hands free doesn't fix that.

This is true.

Originally Posted by Angrybird 12

Even that wouldn't stop people from texting while driving. Their Bluetooth phone would need to have voice recognition texting and also would have to read incoming texts out, and with some of the abbreviations people use while texting that would be virtually impossible.

Also true but I do think if more people had Bluetooth it would help.

Unfortunately guys, the only real fix is something we will hate but is inevitable, driver-less cars.

[Rhyder]

ya and before it was knobs or touchscreens, it was putting on makeup, drinks, eating. reading newspapers....etc etc.....its always been something....people who aren't going to pay attention aren't going to pay attention....goes with having such a prolific amount of vehicles on the road....welcome to living in a rich country......