On the phone whilst driving

[dobbslc]

And absolutely rubbish for handbrake turns

I tried one in my new Vauxhall Combo van when I got it, it didn't like it
It turns itself off after a second.
What do you do if your brakes fail now

This van has a mixture of touch screen and proper buttons and I find the screen a bit of a PITA as I have to have my hand resting on the edge of the screen to steady it so I can hit the right spot.
I still continually hit the wrong spot which does distract me from the road, that's going backwards in my book not progress.

 

[Justme]

I tried one in my new Vauxhall Combo van when I got it, it didn't like it
It turns itself off after a second.
What do you do if your brakes fail now

This van has a mixture of touch screen and proper buttons and I find the screen a bit of a PITA as I have to have my hand resting on the edge of the screen to steady it so I can hit the right spot.
I still continually hit the wrong spot which does distract me from the road, that's going backwards in my book not progress.

You can still pull and hold the electric brake on, just teh same as a manual one.
Yes you can do handbrake turns too by pulling and releasing just the same.

Re it releasing after 1 second thats hill assist not the hand brake.

They release if gas & clutch are in use, ie your telling the car lets go.

 

[dobbslc]

Re it releasing after 1 second thats hill assist not the hand brake.

I was doing 20mph when I tried it (wet road, just testing the vehicles capabilities ye honour) so I don't think it was hill assist.
I'll test the pull and hold later...

 

[toddy]

I was doing 20mph when I tried it (wet road, just testing the vehicles capabilities ye honour) so I don't think it was hill assist.
I'll test the pull and hold later...

remember to video it as well... errm for scientific evidence...

 

[mike os]

...just feels strongly that phone use is dangerous.

What's to feel? It's at least as dangerous as driving under the influence

 

[Morrisman]

You can still pull and hold the electric brake on, just teh same as a manual one.
Yes you can do handbrake turns too by pulling and releasing just the same.

Re it releasing after 1 second thats hill assist not the hand brake.

They release if gas & clutch are in use, ie your telling the car lets go.

How do they test the electric 'hand brake' at MOT? Drive on the rollers then push the button and lock the wheels?

I had one on a rental car a decade or so ago, and hated it to start with, but the hill assist, and 'auto-on' in traffic became quite likeable after a while.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

What's to feel? It's at least as dangerous as driving under the influence

I agree...but judging by what I see on a daily basis where I live I don't think a lot of people agree .

Reckon quite a few that he caught using their phones at a red light probably thought it was OK...still see plenty of cyclists jumping red lights and riding on pavements on his videos with zero consequences .

 

[DennisCA]

I work in IT and I don't like modern cars or their interfaces at all. I think you could call it evolution, for sure evolution does not state things have to get ever better, just more adapted to their environmental pressures. Personally I think it's just another facet of "enshittification", it might have started out as a term to describe the 'evolution' of the modern internet, but it also affects the auto industry.

 

[voipio]

Yup. It's not in the Oxford English Dictionary...yet!!

Enshittification - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[addjunkie]

I work in IT and I don't like modern cars or their interfaces at all. I think you could call it evolution, for sure evolution does not state things have to get ever better, just more adapted to their environmental pressures. Personally I think it's just another facet of "enshittification", it might have started out as a term to describe the 'evolution' of the modern internet, but it also affects the auto industry.

I just think all companies are hyping up advances, developments, or complexification. Look at cars since thats what we're discussing….1960s mini had 3 pedals, left and right on a stalk, everything else central on the dash. It worked, and still does, move on, a tape playing radios were the thing, but all still very basic….now the modern motors are like starship enterprise, My daughter was here a few weeks ago in an M2 BMW….lovely car, but apart from been obscenely quick and comfortable, it doesnt do anything more than the 60s mini….but its full of far more complex things than it really needs to be, though electronic ignition is real progress compared to points the rest is all a but unnecessary and awfully costly if it fails.

 

[minimutly]

Well my little vote on touchscreens got pulled, still waiting on an answer why. Maybe we're not as grown up as we'd like to think we are. Pees me off that I don't get told why though..

 

[redlig]

I've long suspected part of the reason everything (thermostats, washing machines, etc) has an app these days is because it's cheaper and easier to design a UI with a high res colour touch screen than it is to do it with physical buttons and LED indicators or an alphanumeric display.

You didn't think they incorporated all those goodies for YOUR benefit did you? They are there to entice the gullible to buy and to decrease the build cost thus increasing the profit.

 

[Migmac]

Touch screen or buttons, doesn’t bother me which i have in a car.

 

[dobbslc]

Well my little vote on touchscreens got pulled, still waiting on an answer why. Maybe we're not as grown up as we'd like to think we are. Pees me off that I don't get told why though..

Maybe I missed something as I haven't looked for a few hours but it was just a poll on if you liked touchscreens or not, what's wrong with that?
I did look like not many people liked them though...

 

[voipio]

Maybe it was the reference to the phenomenon of "enshi**ification" that did it.

 

[Justme]

I was doing 20mph when I tried it (wet road, just testing the vehicles capabilities ye honour) so I don't think it was hill assist.
I'll test the pull and hold later...

Ah so you pulled and let go.

Its not supposed to stay on while you are moving.

 

[minimutly]

Maybe it was the reference to the phenomenon of "enshi**ification" that did it.

Nope, it was because one of the mods didn't want us wasting our time on a frivolous thread the 3rd time around.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

just look at braille

Sorry, but I laughed at that.....