Eyes on road? Hands on wheel?

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by 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......

They still do all that to while trying to talk on the cellphone, operate the GPS, and the infotainment system. The more gadgets they put into cars the more chances to be distracted....

[Rhyder]

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....

Im sure that passengers using the phone or other devices arent impacting the driver...jamming would not be a viable option.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by Rhyder

Im sure that passengers using the phone or other devices arent impacting the driver...jamming would not be a viable option.

Then keep it localized to the drivers area. It shouldn't be too complicated to target the few cubic feet that the driver inhabits while leaving the rest of the car unaffected.

[fielderLS3]

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.

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.

The problem isn't that people use cell phones while driving....it is that they drive while using cell phones. (They are two different things, and it does make sense if you really think about it, I promise).

Originally Posted by GMTool

But it wont be in my lifetime that the cars do the driving for you.

Self driving cars are not as far off as you think. As a car guy who really enjoys driving as an activity, not just a practical means of transportation, it's actually something I'm not too happy about.

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....

...or, people can act like adults and take personal responsibility for their own actions, instead of being like children and having someone or some piece of technology always following them around and watching them.

Such mandates/technologies have significant moral hazards. I fear we are reaching a point where people feel so strongly that it is someone else's responsibility to make it not possible for you to do something stupid, that people are already starting to assume that anything they can still do without someone of something intervening must therefore be ok no matter what. It's creating an "it must be OK to stick my hand down into a blender because there is no giant guard over the blades with a sticker on it saying I shouldn't" mentality.

[Mr Twisty]

Collision avoidance radar is about to go mainstream... God help us all

[MMC]

Within 10 years cars will drive themselves and it will be as exciting as riding an elevator, and the sheep will think this is good.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by fielderLS3;

...or, people can act like adults and take personal responsibility for their own actions, instead of being like children and having someone or some piece of technology always following them around and watching them.

Such mandates/technologies have significant moral hazards. I fear we are reaching a point where people feel so strongly that it is someone else's responsibility to make it not possible for you to do something stupid, that people are already starting to assume that anything they can still do without someone of something intervening must therefore be ok no matter what. It's creating an "it must be OK to stick my hand down into a blender because there is no giant guard over the blades with a sticker on it saying I shouldn't" mentality.

I agree, unfortunately we have already started down that slippery slope. As long as people feel that they have the right to do whatever they want in a car even if it endangers others we will have Government intervention. That is why we have traffic laws (which most people ignore then cry and complain when they get caught) and other safety requirements for everything from hemorrhoid cream to circular saws.

[SS 376]

Originally Posted by fielderLS3

...or, people can act like adults and take personal responsibility for their own actions, instead of being like children and having someone or some piece of technology always following them around and watching them.

Thank you. Unless you're driving you know, a Toyota with a jammed accelerator, idiotic drivers who choose not to focus on the road cause accidents, not the technology in the car. The touchscreen doesn't grab people's hands and force them to touch it.

[The IOM Ninja]

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.

You must not have an iPhone then because Siri gets all my long abbreviations correct from LOL to OMGLOLWTFBBQ….

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by The IOM Ninja

You must not have an iPhone then because Siri gets all my long abbreviations correct from LOL to OMGLOLWTFBBQ….

But what does it sound like when someone texts the same back to you? I bet it try's to pronounce them as a word instead of each individual letter. Just like siri did when I asked it to read your post. Your abbreviations were a bunch of garbage it tried to read.

[MLL67RSSS]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

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

My question. In the somewhat brutal automotive environment of temperature extremes, vibration, etc., what will I do when the touch screen fails, back-light goes out etc., and I can no longer see to control anything that screen handles? Be a real pain to not be able to turn on the defroster and stuff like that until you pay god-knows-what to have the screen replaced.

[SleepWarz]

Touchscreens are one of the worst current technological products on the market. Yet they keep being put in everything. They are inaccurate, require multiple attempts to work properly, and have several other irritating issues with them as well.
Sad.

[2001ragtop]

Originally Posted by MLL67RSSS

My question. In the somewhat brutal automotive environment of temperature extremes, vibration, etc., what will I do when the touch screen fails, back-light goes out etc., and I can no longer see to control anything that screen handles? Be a real pain to not be able to turn on the defroster and stuff like that until you pay god-knows-what to have the screen replaced.

You just said the EXACT REASON why I don't want a touch screen. That is SCARY if you are controlling the a/c or heater by a touchscreen.

It likely costs 3000.00 to replace that thing if it fails after your warranty runs out. (This is the EXACT REASON they install those in your car probably.)

We have (4) cars and NONE have a gimmicky touch-screen. My 2008 work truck has manual "roll down" windows too so I DON'T have to worry about power window motors or power locks that break either.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by 2001ragtop

You just said the EXACT REASON why I don't want a touch screen.

It likely costs 3000.00 to replace that thing if it fails after your warranty runs out.

We have (4) cars and NONE have a gimmicky touch-screen.

Yeah I remember the days when LCD digital dashboard readouts started. Seems like they lasted about as long as the warranty did. Then you got hit with a $1000 repair when they crapped out.
But electronics are much better today, many though have a maximum and minimum operating temperature. My IPod will go blank if it gets overt 100F inside the car. I wonder what these touch screen temperature ranges are in cars?