Do you trust the driving sensors?

[Donald]

Our 2021 Subaru has many sensors. Two of which are blind spot detection and adaptive cruise control. Do people just look for the blind spot indicator and if not on them it's safe to change lanes? What about the adaptive cruise control, just set it at 70, drive in center lane and let it do it's thing?

Maybe in another post I will discuss the other sensors.

 

[buster]

Trust but verify is usually my approach.

 

[PimTac]

I trust the sensors otherwise I wouldn’t use them. I am still in control though.

Adaptive cruise, I set it and let it do its thing. I can see when it will start slowing down behind a truck coming up for example so I will move over or let it work.

Blind spot, it’s in my HUD so that’s the first thing I check before attempting to change lanes. If the symbol is on I don’t do anything. If it’s clear then I check the mirrors and head turn. The BSM saves a lot of movement for me.


Use this technology as a tool.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

I trust the vehicle sensors like I trust door openers at every store entrance.
They're nice, but if one were to malfunction, I will not be the person walking into the door.

I'm waiting for somebody to blame faulty sensors for causing a vehicle accident.

 

[Trav]

I look at them as assistants not to be left to run the store.

 

[atikovi]

They are your trusted servants, like butlers and maids. You trust them to do their job, but you always have to keep an eye on them.

 

[swampdodo]

Do you trust people?

Who design those sensors? Who made them? Who installed and calibrated them? Who wrote the system application/software that uses them? Who decided the cost/benefit of these sensors and the system that uses them?

 

[Escape08]

No, it's all been turned-off on my Jaguar. I don't want to get used to it as other of my vehicles don't have it.

 

[atikovi]

No, it's all been turned-off on my Jaguar. I don't want to get used to it as other of my vehicles don't have it.

Do you also turn the A/C off on your Jaguar? You wouldn't want to get used to it since your Isuzu doesn't have it.

 

[Escape08]

Do you also turn the A/C off on your Jaguar? You wouldn't want to get used to it since your Isuzu doesn't have it.

No Sir, I live in Texas and A/c is a must. The A/C on the Isuzu has been non-functional for many many many years now. I've been told the entire unit needs to be replaced but no parts available because Isuzu Japan quit making them. The Isuzu is used only for hauling stuffs. Otherwise it sits on the garage for months with/on a tender. And BTW, my daughter whenever she's in town (she drives now a QX60) she borrows "only" the Isuzu because she used that p/up back in college. A sentimental value to her. She likes riding at the back of the p/up truck when she was a little kid with "Dimples", her favorite cat (RIP). That's also the vehicle where she learned how to drive the stick shift

 

[atikovi]

No Sir, I live in Texas and A/c is a must.

Awh, so comfort is a must but safety devices can be turned off. I see.

 

[DwightFrye]

The various sensors in my Mazda CX 5 work quite well and I like the adaptive cruise control. The car also has a safety feature called Smart City Braking that will either put a big flashing BRAKE warning up in the HUD display should for example a car in front of you pulls out or slows suddenly to make a turn and you are close. I understand that in extreme cases it will actually slam on the brakes.
But I still use safe driving habits that I learned back in the early '70's.

My Jaguar on the other hand has less effective sensors, no HUD and no adaptive cruise control. Disappointing on a car that cost 3X what the Mazda did. The BSM system does not trigger until a car on either side is all the way up nearly equal to the rear of the car, while the Mazda indicators in the mirrors and on the HUD will trigger when a car on either side is around 3 car lengths back. And the Jag has a bad blind spot from the rear hatch and could use earlier warnings.

The Jaguar also has a feature that will vibrate the steering wheel or actually provide some assist depending upon how you have selected the settings if you cross the center line or touch the lines on the shoulder. I live in the mountains and frequently drive on narrow two lane roads and it's very difficult to stay perfectly centered in the lane all the time so I just shut it off. The Mazda has a similar system but it isn't as sensitive so I leave it on.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I trust and look. The Lexus BSM are much better than the Tesla BSM. But the Tesla BSM are improving; but not there yet.

 

[PimTac]

The various sensors in my Mazda CX 5 work quite well and I like the adaptive cruise control. The car also has a safety feature called Smart City Braking that will either put a big flashing BRAKE warning up in the HUD display should for example a car in front of you pulls out or slows suddenly to make a turn and you are close. I understand that in extreme cases it will actually slam on the brakes.
But I still use safe driving habits that I learned back in the early '70's.

I’ve had the Smart City Braking activate twice in the five years I have owned our CX5. In both cases another vehicle pulled out in front of us. I slammed on the brakes but I realized in both cases that the system beat me to it. I like to think my reflexes are still pretty good but that system is a nice backup to have.

 

[Al]

I am forced to trust the blind spot detectors. I do look to the side though.

 

[PWMDMD]

No, I do not trust them...99.999% of the time they tell me what I already know or would've known in a few seconds because I never rely on them.

 

[Astro14]

Like all warning systems, they’re a back-up.

I will honor a sensor warning, but I don’t rely on them to keep me safe.

The primary safety system in the car is the wheel/pedal interface, sometimes called a driver.

 

[demarpaint]

IMO they're a warning system, and not foolproof. If a driver relies on them the driver shouldn't be driving.

 

[UG_Passat]

Our 2021 Subaru has many sensors. Two of which are blind spot detection and adaptive cruise control. Do people just look for the blind spot indicator and if not on them it's safe to change lanes? What about the adaptive cruise control, just set it at 70, drive in center lane and let it do it's thing?

Maybe in another post I will discuss the other sensors.

I have the stick-on blind spot mirrors in addition to the blind spot monitor.

As sometimes, the BSM is flashing when I want to change lanes, when a car is 2 lanes over from me.

Adaptive, yes, But alert enough to keep my foot on alert in case a situation where I need to overrule the system.

 

[Silver]

No offense, you're a product of your environment, but to even see this question asked is scary.

I find cruise control to be a horrible thing too. The way it works - forcing the vehicle to maintain speed up hills and waste energy down hills. Some of the newer vehicles have a wide gap in the mpg they keep the car at, but even then it's so irresponsible. Yeah it's your car, your gas, your money but still. It's like "obnoxious mode" for the car.