Auto-braking....Making driving even more dangerous.

[SteveW]

Seem's like a good idea......Your car brake's automatically for you if you get too close to the car you are tail-Gating, allowing you to get on with important stuff like texting or drinking a flat white coffee.
Yesterday morning (it was dark) I was on my motorcycle following a clown in a high end Audi in heavy commuter traffic on the M66, at pretty much the legal limit in lane two of this busy two lane motorway....every 15 seconds his triple brake lights would flash and he'd slow down, then 15 seconds later the process would be repeated.
It was irritating me and it was definitely effecting other traffic who were reacting to this "phantom braking" by braking themselves.
I couldn't stand it any longer and pulled into lane one and drew along side him.
He was enjoying a refreshing Costa Coffee, not paying much attention to his surroundings and relying on his car's auto-braking system to regulate his speed as he closed in dangerously close to the car in front.
He wasn't for moving over and I gracefully undertook him and found a less stressful section of motorway to sit hemmed-in by other box-driving wage-slaves.....thank God dally commuting isn't part of my normal life.

[Tramp]

You think its bad in cars? Hgv lorrys have had them for years and tossers cutting you up at exits in car, van cause huge problems with spilt drinks and dropped sandwiches...

Its part of lifes tapestry because we all cant drive safely so the robbots take over... You can turn it off by the way but most dont know how to read the manuals...

[clutchspring]

Was talking to a chap a while back & we got on to the subject of technology in cars , his car had auto braking fitted & he said even if a leaf blows on to the car in the right place it puts the brakes on .

[boboneleg]

My wife has a 5 month old car and part of the criteria for choosing a model was none of that braking crap and also no stop/start shite either.
But we still get an email every month telling us what the tyre pressures are , oil life etc etc.

I am now redundant from car checks/maintenance

[Mike54]

I really loathe the stop start thing on my wife's car. I turn it off as soon as I drive it - I think it's dangerous for when you need to nip out quickly and the damn engine has to turn itself on.

[garyboy]

I would guess that if you were driving one at an automatic safe distance. the space in front would be constantly be filling with tailgaters (ie normal UK drivers )

[Tonibe63]

I would guess that if you were driving one at an automatic safe distance. the space in front would be constantly be filling with tailgaters (ie normal UK drivers )

Indeed they do but you can choose a distance to minimise this within the adaptive cruise control settings. You can also choose to switch off the autobraking although I'm sure the insurance industry will soon be questioning 'why' if you then become involved in an accident.
I believe all HGV's built since 2016 also have a 'collision avoidance' feature where the vehicle will ram on the brakes to avoid you rear ending another vehicle, the problem is that it picks up signs/fences etc as being a stationery vehicle with the result being it brakes hard, one day an older car/truck/motorbike will run into the back of you ..... bikers beware!!!

[Tramp]

The trucks accident collison thingy is dangerous... If i car stops just prowd of junction as you pass it slam anchors on... Same if someone at bus stop is pissing about... Fifin kids ... The cars will learn soon to cut up lorrys then they brake and in they squeeze... We have cameras all over too... Curtosy of london traffic laws... Even if you drive in outer hebridies lol...

The world's gone mad...

[bowber]

I've been told that the wagon one brings the wagon to a stop, some even make you apply the handbrake and select neutral before allowing you to set of again. I don't know how true that is but both blokes were wagon drivers and both drove recent units.
If it is true then surely having a HGV come to an emergency stop on a motorway just because someone cut in front of them is dangerous.

Steve

[Tramp]

The lorry one applies full force braking till the threat has been avoided... Normally just a 10mph speed resuction... Its clever because it wont cause a skid or jacknife... Also with rear wheel load distrubution its hard to tip a trailer over with excess speed...

We really are just steering pilots... Crusie on and thats it... One reason in my view that some driver fall asleep... Lack of input to keep you on the ball and awake...

We even have coarses on new vehicle handover to undwrstand everything...