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Got a modernish Skoda sitting outside (see the 'signs of getting older' thread). Has a feature which tries to stop you using the steering wheel when you cross the centre line of the road.
It's apparently a 'safety feature', and if you switch it off, it turns back on next time you're in the car.
Now I can see this is very helpful if you're prone to falling asleep at the wheel after a long lunch, or sending Snapchats on the M4, but I don't do those things, and I like doing stuff like pulling round parked cars or swerving to avoid small children without having the car working against me.
Is there any way of doing away with it? Can a dealer do it for me at the next service?
It's a proper PITA. I've got a 2021 Octavia and we are surrounded by tiny country lanes and it just can't cope with them. I turn it off by reflex now. But as you say, it defaults back to on when you get in.
A while back someone posted a link to a YouTube video of someone switching it off in another VAG car - a Passat I think, so perhaps also possible in a Skoda. It involved laptops and OBD readers and special software. Too much faff for me.
Pretty sure the dealer won't do it for liability/warranty reasons.
I think you can turn off the memory function for lots of the assistance features using VCDS (special software and ££ cable needed, risk of bricking the car with no warranty support if you get it wrong) - maybe try the Briskoda forum to see if there's anyone localish who can help?
Pfft. Presumably their stats show that lazy, inattentive drivers who want to grab stuff out of the passenger footwell at 80mph are more of a problem...
Yeah, unfortunately it's a lease, so sticking cables in and messing with its brain is probably not a good idea!
https://obdeleven.com/en/supported-vehicles?brand=skoda
20+ Octavia lists remember lame assist setting under 1 click apps (i.e. coding the easy way).
Could be worse. I have a rental Nissan Quashqai (or whatever its called) right now that slammed the brakes on yesterday as the crash detection activated as I went through a dip in the road. good job nothing was following me!
I have a 2019 VW Tiguan which I think was one of the last Tiguans where the option was to switch it on rather than being on by default. On the Tiguan forums there has been a lot of discussion about it and from what I have read it can be switched off with the right software on a laptop connected to the car's management system. I have used lane assist on motorways and can certainly see its benefit there but ordinary roads not so sure about.
My wife's Polo has it on permanently and I have to say I have not really found it a problem. If you use your indicator to pull round park cars it does turn off the lane assist and if having to swerve in an emergency your reaction at the time would probably mean you would not even notice the very slight pull of the steering to keep you within the road's lines. My wife mentioned it once or twice when she first got the car but hasn't said anything about since. I think you'll get use to it in time.
I don't think that there's an easy permanent fix but I find that the steering wheel buttons are quicker than waiting for the infotainment display to become responsive
If you use your indicator to pull round park cars it does turn off the lane assist
That's one of the problems with lane assist. It pushes drivers towards using indicators when they're not appropriate.
I have turned it off on my 2021 Seat as I hated it. Was easy enough to do, it was in with the adaptive cruise control and front collision settings, but mine defaults to off after selecting off and no need to constantly keep turning it off so I guess different VAG groups have different settings.
I think if it turns back on when you start the car depends when the car got it's NCAP rating, seems it has to now for the car to get 5 stars.
I have it on my works izuzu, seems to be the quality of a Wish/alibaba purchase
I have defeated it by inserting paper triangles between the windscreen and cameras.
Brings up a dirty windscreen warning but I'd rather that than random unplanned emergency braking via an autonomous system built by the lowest cost preffered bidder.
Could be worse. I have a rental Nissan Quashqai (or whatever its called) right now that slammed the brakes on yesterday as the crash detection activated as I went through a dip in the road. good job nothing was following me!
I am so glad our Leon, despite having the radar and gubbins, only shouts a warning at you rather than the 'bonus' pack which also brakes. On our twisty highland roads it really struggles - we had one journey out to Oban and Luing a few weeks ago and it became hilarious how many times it BONG! BONG! at us - it was picking up the black chevron signs, trees, walls. Heck, it even bonged on the Bridge over the Atlantic as the road rears up...
I do a fair bit of driving in cycle race convoys - almost always with fleet vehicles supplied by some local dealer as part of a sponsorship package - so I've driven loads of variations on a theme of these auto-assist options. Having to turn everything off every time you start the engine is a pain. One dealer a couple of years ago told us that they would disable everything via a software update before we picked up the cars but that never happened, maybe because they were worried about the insurance premium or possibly the hassle of plugging in a laptop and re-coding the thing.
My local garage (independent place) remapped his own software to remove all of that so it's clearly possible but probably not recommended. I can imagine it coming back to bite you in any insurance claim...
I have a 2021 Octavia and it is pretty much instinct to press the steering wheel buttons at the start of every drive. Like Blokeuptheroad I live on rural roads and it is out of its depth and tries to pull me in to the verge. There are generally no lines down the middle of the road so it often 'reads' the lines where the tarmac laying joins as the middle of the road.
Also used to have a qashqai that hated going through single lane cattle grids. There was a recall to fix the problem but I never trusted it so used to crawl through them much to the bemusement of drivers behind me.
With modern car safety features it baffles me why so many people drive so close behind cars on the motorway.
That’s one of the problems with lane assist. It pushes drivers towards using indicators when they’re not appropriate.
Another victim of the IAM mythology, which is less after safety and more about "making progress" while looking cool. It's not like you're going to wear them out. Whether or not you need indicators is a judgement call, but ultimately unless it's going to confuse someone, just use them.
A lease company is never going to look at the software coding for lane assist. Just turn it off if you don't want it. Arguably the bigger issue might be your insurer, because I wouldn't want to be a part of the conversation that begins with "So, tell us why you permanently deactivated a safety feature of the car that might have avoided [accident]?"
These days - particularly on motorways - with active lane guidance on newer cars, not using indicators just shows everyone that you're driving the poverty-spec model.
Could be worse. I have a rental Nissan Quashqai (or whatever its called) right now that slammed the brakes on yesterday as the crash detection activated as I went through a dip in the road. good job nothing was following me!
I had that the other day, doing about 30mph and the car suddenly screamed and stood itself on its nose because the wind picked up a crisp packet in the road.
Also used to have a qashqai that hated going through single lane cattle grids.
The idea of this makes me giggle. 'Nooo dad, don't make me go through there!'
What if you indicate and then move? Does it still do whatever it is doing to annoy you?
"Poverty spec model"
Lol - can't believe people still use that phrase
I reckon paying extra to remove these stupid features is going to be the new badge removal
What if you indicate and then move? Does it still do whatever it is doing to annoy you?
No.
I do tend to indicate if there is anyone around to be advised by it. But not always when weaving in and out of parked cars in town. Or trying to drive in a straight line on country lanes.
I'm not convinced you'll automatically physically override it in all emergency situations eg a pedestrian stepping off the pavement, generally I won't yank the wheel hard to avoid, I'll flick it to give me a couple of feet movement without potentially losing control.
What if you indicate and then move? Does it still do whatever it is doing to annoy you?
No, indicating tells the car that you intend to cross the lines so it'll disable the Lane Assist thing until you stop indicating.
Also used to have a qashqai that hated going through single lane cattle grids.
Fairly sure it was one of these I had driving through narrow country lanes to get to Race Start and because the lanes were really only 1.8 cars wide but still had dashed lines down the middle of them, the car would not shut up.
Bleep! Bleep! You're across the lines!!
Yes, the other option would be piling you into the hedge you stupid car, now be quiet.
“Poverty spec model”
A lot of cars now, especially the upper end models that come with all sorts of optional extras, actually build the cars identically. It's cheaper to build every model in the range with the same functions and then turn these features on or off via software.
not using indicators just shows everyone that you’re driving the poverty-spec model.
Wow. Perhaps they don't give a toss what people who sneer at 'poverty' think. I haven't done IAM but I have done RoSPA advanced training and test on a motorcycle. Very similar I think as in both are based on the police driving manual 'Roadcraft' with tests examined by Police Class one drivers. Nothing to do with looking cool (I drive a Skoda FFS)!
You are taught to give an indication if it will provide information about your intentions to others. This might mean you don't do it if there are no other vehicles around because you are paying attention to your surroundings and not driving on autopilot.
Another victim of the IAM mythology, which is less after safety and more about “making progress” while looking cool.
That's not the IAM I'm familiar with - it was/is the absolute opposite of cool. And yes, it is about safety. Many (not all) folk won't pay as muchg attention to their surroundings if they automatically indicate each time, whether its needed or not. By putting a pre-indicate check in place, that encourages folk to check their surroundings and not operate on autopilot.
Are folk saying they indicate when changing lanes on a deserted motorway at 11pm at night?
I'm very glad I can't afford a more modern vehicle that has all this shite built into it.
A lease company is never going to look at the software coding for lane assist. Just turn it off if you don’t want it. Arguably the bigger issue might be your insurer, because I wouldn’t want to be a part of the conversation that begins with “So, tell us why you permanently deactivated a safety feature of the car that might have avoided [accident]?”
No, but the manufacturer will see that you've changed the config every time the car has an OTA update or a service.
And i'm not 100%, but i think parts of the lane change warning are now legally mandated. So if people switch it off or change the behaviour the car will fail type approval and no longer be insured or legal to use on the road.
Not sure what the manufacturer will do with the information, but if it was my decision, i'd either be bricking the car until it's fixed. Or correcting the config file automatically.
Yeah, I can't see it going well if I start digging around in the software.
In my 2018 Skoda the lane change feature can be turned off in the vehicle menu. The stop start is the only feature I need to turn off every time I start the car.
The auto braking actually works OK. For a start, above, I think, 21mph it doesn't brake but just warns and primes the braking system. In 5 years I have had one false activation at around 18mph where it braked. A few faulty warnings where it picked up overhead gantries over the brow of a hill but as it only warns and doesn't brake at those speeds not an issue.
The auto brake at at parking speed stopped me reversing into a low wall I had missed.
First day I drove it I picked it up in Great Yarmouth (bought via Drive the Deal) and drove back to Glasgow the same day. At Beattock it told me I was tired and should take a break or words to that effect. So I stopped for a coffee!
I'm not seeing how disabling an optional "feature" should trouble an insurer.
I had an Octavia, oh, five years ago? It had lane assist. It was annoying. I turned it off. It stayed off. Cool story bro, I know.
This creeping enshitification is irritating though. There's absolutely no reason other than crap design as to why a car should throw away your previous settings just because you've got out of it (doubly so in our current Seat which has the (poorly implemented) notion of different driver profiles linked to individual keys). In my previous Honda, of course it makes total sense to disable the auto-hold on the brakes every time I restart the engine, rolling away rather than staying put when I take my foot of the brakes in a car with auto brakes is a completely logical thing to have as an enforced default.
At Beattock it told me I was tired and should take a break or words to that effect. So I stopped for a coffee!
<Rage Against the Machine intensifies>
The M74 is probably highlighted as one of the most boring motorways in the Europe on its Sat Nav, so it offers that advice regardless of how long you've been travelling to get there.
The M74 is probably highlighted as one of the most boring motorways in the Europe on its Sat Nav
Oh I don't know about that. I'm not aware of any other motorways with a cock-shaped plantation of trees on a hillside overlooking the road:
mert
No, but the manufacturer will see that you’ve changed the config every time the car has an OTA update or a service.
And i’m not 100%, but i think parts of the lane change warning are now legally mandated. So if people switch it off or change the behaviour the car will fail type approval and no longer be insured or legal to use on the road.Not sure what the manufacturer will do with the information, but if it was my decision, i’d either be bricking the car until it’s fixed. Or correcting the config file automatically.
Hmm, maybe but I've got an Octavia with various settings changed using OBDeleven. The car has full main dealer service history including all software updates and they have never removed or commented on the changed settings. It's also not noted on Erwin (the online service history).
"Bricking" the car because somebody wants it to remember their lane departure settings rather than defaulting to on each time though? 🤷♂️
In my opinion it's not a good enough system to leave on all the time. I use it on the motorway when it's mainly empty, that's it.
Example of problem it causes: on motorway roadworks it will yank the steering over trying to follow the painted-over lines instead of the catseyes showing the temporary lanes.
That’s one of the problems with lane assist. It pushes drivers towards using indicators when they’re not appropriate.
If it pushes people round here to think that overtaking parked cars (or cyclists) is a "manouvre" rather than the autopilot thing to do and anyone coming the other way must move out the way to make space then its probably a good thing. One of my biggest frustrations in this area is streets which are just big enough for 3 cars wide and people coming towards you overtaking a parked car on their side of the road and forcing you to move over, they seem to have forgotten they are overtaking and cause chaos when the overtake meats a bus/truck. Pretty sure it is the same people who "must get past" the cyclist.
Mercedes A-Class has an aggressive response. I exited the motorway yesterday, no one around, so didn't indicate. It grabbed the wheel and jerked it out of my hands as it pulled back to the right and braked. Dumb ass system could've easily caused a collision if someone had been following or moving into the lane I was vacating.
The whole idea does sound really dumb. Fortunately, my car doesn't have it, but it does randomly shout at me if it thinks I am too close to something and it kills the power for a few seconds. So sometimes I can be waiting to turn right and the car coming towards me gets too close and it won't let me move off after it has passed. Damn stupid system.
So if people switch it off or change the behaviour the car will fail type approval and no longer be insured or legal to use on the road.
AIUI on VAG cars you're just enabling the system to remember the last settings. Once you've set off the car behaves the same whether you've disabled the system through the UI after starting the car or by having the 'off' state stored in memory. If you'd hacked the car's electronics and turned off airbag activation and then had an accident where you stuck your head through the steering wheel I can see there being an argument about insurance, but if the car normally presents the driver with an option to disable a system then surely they can't complain that system is disabled.
Another victim of the IAM mythology, which is less after safety and more about “making progress” while looking cool. It’s not like you’re going to wear them out. Whether or not you need indicators is a judgement call, but ultimately unless it’s going to confuse someone, just use them.
My point was that indicating to pass a parked car, when it's obvious that that's what you're going to do, is more likely to confuse people into thinking you're turning right. I don't know what that has to do with 'making progress'. If you've stopped behind a parked car and are going to pull out, or, you're in a bigger vehicle that might mask the obstacle from following traffic, indicating is important.
Are folk saying they indicate when changing lanes on a deserted motorway at 11pm at night?
<pendant's corner>If it's actually deserted, there's no need to change lane. IF it's not deserted, then your indicator will provide information to someone</pendant's corner>
My point was that indicating to pass a parked car, when it’s obvious that that’s what you’re going to do, is more likely to confuse people into thinking you’re turning right.
I wonder (playing devil's advocate for a moment), does that distinction actually matter?
What information are we trying to convey when indicating? You're driving along a regular street, you indicate right, what does that tell other road users beyond an intention to move in that direction so attempting an overtake is likely to be a bad idea? What's the downside to people thinking you're turning right when you aren't? Undertaking I suppose, but if you're passing a parked car (or a cyclist) then that's unlikely.
Genuine question, have I overlooked something?
<pendant’s corner>If it’s actually deserted, there’s no need to change lane. IF it’s not deserted, then your indicator will provide information to someone</pendant’s corner>
Roadworks.
Lane merges
Junction splits
I’m not seeing how disabling an optional “feature” should trouble an insurer.
It's not optional on new models. Facelifts and continuing production of existing models may continue under prior legislation, depending on how it's written.
Hmm, maybe but I’ve got an Octavia with various settings changed using OBDeleven. The car has full main dealer service history including all software updates and they have never removed or commented on the changed settings. It’s also not noted on Erwin (the online service history).
Depends on what model year legislation your car was sold under. If it's before a certain date, you should be all good. TBH, my last car was one of the very first batch in Europe to have the new system and it's main dealer full service history would fit on one side of A4 paper.
“Bricking” the car because somebody wants it to remember their lane departure settings rather than defaulting to on each time though? 🤷♂️
Yes? And? What if the next user of the car is a distracted teenager? Bricking it might be excessive for all you driving gods. But a good chunk of our great motoring public shouldn't be on the road without all the safety features turned up to 11. And also, people playing with config files is something that *can* impact a manufacturer. (Not generally in Europe thankfully. It'll be your problem, not mine.)
In my opinion it’s not a good enough system to leave on all the time. I use it on the motorway when it’s mainly empty, that’s it.
Yes, you're right, the earlier systems are terrible, they pick up all sorts of rubbish as lane markings. Same as the speed limit stuff, there's a business sign near me that always triggers my Road Sign Info to tell me that it's a 110 limit... It's actually a 30 there.
Systems that are legally required also usually have fairly tight requirements on false warnings.
AIUI on VAG cars you’re just enabling the system to remember the last settings.
I don't write the legislation, i just contribute as a representative of the company. The final decision is taken elsewhere.
If it says "turn feature X,Y,Z on at every new drive cycle" in the legislation, then that's what it does. And i then need to certify that it does that. Well, technically i now tell people what, how and why to certify these days. But, y'kno.
If it’s actually deserted, there’s no need to change lane. IF it’s not deserted, then your indicator will provide information to someone
You mean you don't straight-line the corners on a deserted motorway? Weirdo. Although a deserted motorway is a very rare thing these days.
Genuine question, have I overlooked something?
Nope, that's what indicators are for.
NOT indicating is worse, because the IAM driving god making progress behind you can't really see the cyclist you're pulling out to pass. Or read your mind. So you indicate to tell them you're moving out.
If they can't distinguish between indicating to turn, and indicating to pull out/overtake. It shouldn't matter. Unless of course they are too close and making progress. Or if they are 80 and getting confused at everything. Like why are the police all so young these days?
Are folk saying they indicate when changing lanes on a deserted motorway at 11pm at night?
<pendant’s corner>If it’s actually deserted, there’s no need to change lane. IF it’s not deserted, then your indicator will provide information to someone</pendant’s corner>
Good points both.
Back when I was learning to drive, I was taught to indicate regardless of any other perceived traffic as a) roads might not be as deserted as you initially think and b) it helps build muscle memory so you automatically indicate before manoeuvring rather than it being an extra step you have to consciously think about.
An advanced driving instructor once told me not to bother indicating on motorways when changing lanes to the left, the thinking being that drivers to your left are moving slower so your lane change cannot affect anyone. This struck me as odd. Not only are you unlearning rote behaviour but you're assuming that no-one will ever overtake you on the left. Maybe that was the broader point, to have a driver question why they're doing what they're doing and then make better decisions? I don't know.
It's good to indicate both ways, in case you've misjudged the distance to the car you're passing. They at least get a second or two of indicator before you smash your nearside rear corner into them. So they can either honk, brake or drive into you because they are flicking through tinder.
Also why blind spot warning systems are useful.
Now I can see this is very helpful if you’re prone to falling asleep at the wheel after a long lunch, or sending Snapchats on the M4, but I don’t do those things
It would have prevented the car accident my parents were in, if it were active on one of the cars involved, just not sure which one. And my Dad had been driving for 50 years (not continuously) at that point without a single accident and is hyper-attentive and very much a safety-first person; clearly not the kind of person described here. Point is that if it can happen to him it can happen to anyone.
I think I'm a decent driver but unlike the OP I realise that even I can make mistakes, so I leave it on except for narrow B roads of the kind you often get down South with white lines down the edges, it gets a bit difficult then. Fortunately on my car there's a button to turn it off; unfortunately it's obscured by the wheel so it's quite hard to find.
I’ve got a 69 plate, 2020 registered, Skoda Kodiaq. I’ve never noticed any lane keep feature
Re indicators, my driving instructor told me not to indicate when there was no-one there or when it was obvious what you were going to do. But as above I also disagree because a) there might be someone you cannot or didn't see who wants to know, b) because it may not be obvious to everyone, they may not be able see that you're in a left-only turn lane, c) why not indicate anyway? and d) you're un-learning the automatic response which means that some time you WILL forget about it.
Re learned responses - people will say 'oh you're just training yourself not to bother checking' but I don't think this is the case. I always leave my keys on the rack when I come in the house, regardless - that way I can always find them. My wife puts them in a variety of places for various reasons that she has invevitably forgotten about the next time she needs them.
An advanced driving instructor once told me not to bother indicating on motorways when changing lanes to the left, the thinking being that drivers to your left are moving slower so your lane change cannot affect anyone.
This is what I was taught by my instructor when learning to drive (1977). The rationale being not only that they were going more slowly, but also that changing lanes to the left is what everyone would be expecting you to do anyway. Obviously that no longer applies.
Re indicators, my driving instructor told me not to indicate when there was no-one there or when it was obvious what you were going to do. But as above I also disagree because a) there might be someone you cannot or didn’t see who wants to know, b) because it may not be obvious to everyone, they may not be able see that you’re in a left-only turn lane, c) why not indicate anyway? and d) you’re un-learning the automatic response which means that some time you WILL forget about it.
I totally agree with that. However (and I could be wrong here – I was told it some time ago) apparently it is a fail for the Advanced Driving Test as the driver should be able to show they have full awareness of everything around them at any given point.
My BMW 21 reg came with lane departure steering. You could switch it off but it would always came back on again next time car was started. After an OTA update, it can now permanently be switched off. I suspect that means either it isn't legislated to reset itself, or that legislation has since been changed.
(Not suggesting it is a good/bad safety feature BTW 🙂
I hired a Mk8 Golf (the one with awful touch sensitive heater controls) last year, the first thing the guy showed me inside was how to turn off lane assist. I've driven quite a few cars that have it and it is probably the most annoying safety feature now fitted to new cars. Got a Dacia Jogger in November which thankfully doesn't have it, as their CEO said why fit it when people just turn it off anyway.
apparently it is a fail for the Advanced Driving Test as the driver should be able to show they have full awareness of everything around them at any given point.
This is not possible in all situations due to the presence of opaque objects in the world.
You mean you don’t straight-line the corners on a deserted motorway? Weirdo.
On an empty roundabout or a normal road with perfect visibility, absolutely, the road's there to be used. On a motorway though? The gains to be had there are surely vanishingly slight unless you're doing 200 down an autobahn.
IAM / making progress
This crops up again and again, several times on this thread alone, and it's getting tedious now. There seems to be a common belief that "making progress" is a euphemism / excuse for driving like a joyrider.
That's not what it means, rather making progress is about efficiency. For example, slowing before a distant red light rather than flying right up to it then burying the middle pedal, so you can smoothly roll through it when it turns green rather than having to stop. Making progress is thinking ahead, being aware of your surroundings, driving fluidly rather than staccato and erratic.
The gains to be had there are surely vanishingly slight unless you’re doing 200 down an autobahn.
Saves fuel as you don't have to drive so far. The difference can actually be measurable.
Saves fuel as you don’t have to drive so far. The difference can actually be measurable.
Apparently (and I was surprised too), the distance travelling clockwise around the M25 is only very marginally (like a couple of hundred metres) longer than the distance travelling anti-clockwise so I doubt that straightlining what is going to be a gradual curve on a motorway makes any discernible difference whatsoever.
I routinely straightline twisty B-roads when I can see it's clear and safe to do so which is exactly the sort of situation that a Lane Assist thing would be blaring warnings about.
My BMW 21 reg came with lane departure steering.
...
(Not suggesting it is a good/bad safety feature BTW 🙂
I think a lane departure warning can be a good thing. Fighting the steering wheel out of your hands, not so much.
Fortunately, after thinking I'd have to be going through menus every time I got in the car, playing with it today, it turns out to be a very quick button sequence to disable it, which hopefully will be committed to muscle memory pretty soon, bit like sticking the clutch down to start it.
Whether it will be quite the same for my tech-hating wife, I don't know.
For example, slowing before a distant red light rather than flying right up to it then burying the middle pedal, so you can smoothly roll through it when it turns green rather than having to stop.
Tailgaters hate this one simple trick!
Good.
😁
What’s the downside to people thinking you’re turning right when you aren’t?
If you're turning right, you'll start slowing down after you've indicated. If you're overtaking a parked car (and the road is clear) you won't. On a single carriageway, if I see that a vehicle in front is turning right, I'll lift off to reduce the need for braking.
Good.
Yeah, I love doing it, it boggles their little minds. Bit like when you drive at 30 in a 30 with faster cars in front, but somehow always seem to end up right behind them at the next lights.
Plus, in pure energy terms, the first metre you drive from a stop has to be the most expensive, no?
Oh I don’t know about that. I’m not aware of any other motorways with a cock-shaped plantation of trees on a hillside overlooking the road:
I know I’m nearly home when I see Cock Forest 🙂
apparently it is a fail for the Advanced Driving Test as the driver should be able to show they have full awareness of everything around them at any given point.
Hmmm, despite being so advanced it seems they can’t get really their heads around the notion of using a fail-safe technique.
If you’re turning right, you’ll start slowing down after you’ve indicated.
Hmm... Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre (granted, turning left/right feels a bit of a grey area, but that's the sequence I had drummed into me when I was learning).
On my e-Tron it's a single click on the end of the indicator stalk to disable it.
Seems about the right level of faff to switch it off if you want too.
TBH it's probably one of the better bits of UI design in the car.
I’m not seeing how disabling an optional “feature” should trouble an insurer.
The insurance premium accounts for the safety features on the car, but this is affected if those features are being turned off or misused. It may look silly for one specific case or feature, however when looking at the big picture the progression of automotive safety features are one of the most significant drivers of improved road safety over the years. So it makes sense to manage how drivers may be increasing their risk by disabling or misusing features.
It was recently finalised that all new types of car from July 2022 or existing types sold from July 2024 onwards will be fitted with a raft of safety features including Intelligent Speed Assistance, Advanced Emergency Braking System, and driver monitoring. In parallel with this are rules about data logging units being fitted to all vehicles. I haven't read this set of UN technical regulations but I believe the intention is for this to allow the option for regulators to link up how these features are being used with insurance coverage and claims - potential to be linked to criminal proceedings too.
Hmm… Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre (granted, turning left/right feels a bit of a grey area, but that’s the sequence I had drummed into me when I was learning).
When learning to drive I was taught mirror, signal, mirror again, manoeuvre.
On two wheels you're taught mirror, signal, shoulder-check, manoeuvre. They call that last glance before you commit "the lifesaver." It really should be a part of driving too, it'd decimate the number of SMIDSYs and left-hooks.
The insurance premium accounts for the safety features on the car, but this is affected if those features are being turned off or misused.
Seems kinda strange that there's an "off" switch then. Is this a numbers game again, assuming that most drivers won't be arsed to fiddle with the tech?
It was recently finalised that all new types of car from July 2022 or existing types sold from July 2024 onwards will be fitted with a raft of safety features including Intelligent Speed Assistance, Advanced Emergency Braking System, and driver monitoring. In parallel with this are rules about data logging units being fitted to all vehicles. I haven’t read this set of UN technical regulations but I believe the intention is for this to allow the option for regulators to link up how these features are being used with insurance coverage and claims – potential to be linked to criminal proceedings too.
I was musing the other day how it's odd that I've had cars with rear view cameras and a battery of forward-facing sensors for years now, yet no-one's thought to hook them all up to a recording device. We have insurance discounts for young drivers with black boxes in their cars, it feels like a no-brainer to me to stick an SD card on the back of the existing tech rather than have drivers use third-party cameras which might get their window put through by scrotes.
When learning to drive I was taught mirror, signal, mirror again, manoeuvre.
I assume this is just the difference between instructors - I did have 'check left, check right, check left again' though.
On two wheels you’re taught mirror, signal, shoulder-check, manoeuvre. They call that last glance before you commit “the lifesaver.” It really should be a part of driving too, it’d decimate the number of SMIDSYs and left-hooks.
Yeah, I do this in the car but I can't believe it is not actually a recommendation which I find very surprising.
I was musing the other day how it’s odd that I’ve had cars with rear view cameras and a battery of forward-facing sensors for years now, yet no-one’s thought to hook them all up to a recording device.
On my car (Mercedes) you can buy a similar system as an upgrade. I assume other manufacturers do the same?
You think these systems are annoying in a car, try them in a truck 🤣😡
I assume this is just the difference between instructors – I did have ‘check left, check right, check left again’ though.
Possibly an age thing also?
Left-right-left surely should be right-left-right though, unless I've misunderstood what you're referring to?
You mean you don’t straight-line the corners on a deserted motorway? Weirdo. Although a deserted motorway is a very rare thing these days.
Well yeah it's been 10 years since I used to do the 3am London-Bristol sprint regularly - don't know how busy it is these days - but even then I was always mindful that there could suddenly be something going very slowly in lane 1 and I didn't want any surprises!
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The auto brake at at parking speed stopped me reversing into a low wall I had missed.
Careful, I don't think you're allowed to admit that you're anything less than a perfect driver on threads like these.
Our Enyaq came with it and it was a total liability on local roads. It can be turned off via the menu but you have to do it every time you drive the car which is a PITA. I plugged one of these in and used the app to turn it off - works a treat.
OBDEleven Device
As for the insurance thing - I don't buy the argument that it's a mod to the car - it isn't if it can be turned off via the in car display menu.
My wife has had a new VW ID4 or the "eco panzer" as i call it for a week now, living in rural Norfolk, whilst it is extremely clever, it seems to be plain dangerous half the time, and she has to turn it off every time, it is has tried to wrestle steering wheel from her a number of times travelling on country roads that are barely two cars wide if that, and in first few days, braked hard as she pulled up a bank to give way to oncoming vehicles on a single lane road, almost causing car behind to go into rear of her.
A lot of these features seem great for motorway or city driving, but seem to get very confused by rural roads.
I routinely straightline twisty B-roads when I can see it’s clear and safe to do so which is exactly the sort of situation that a Lane Assist thing would be blaring warnings about.
Not sure that's a good idea. Human vision in general isn't all that reliable, which I'd have thought cyclists should know.
A lot of these features seem great for motorway or city driving, but seem to get very confused by rural roads
That's when I turn mine off.
Are folk saying they indicate when changing lanes on a deserted motorway at 11pm at night?
Yep. I would do it simply because I may have missed seeing someone. Yes, of course I should always be aware of everything at all times but I'm also quite comfortable with doing something extra just in case I did miss something.
I was musing the other day how it’s odd that I’ve had cars with rear view cameras and a battery of forward-facing sensors for years now, yet no-one’s thought to hook them all up to a recording device. We have insurance discounts for young drivers with black boxes in their cars, it feels like a no-brainer to me to stick an SD card on the back of the existing tech rather than have drivers use third-party cameras which might get their window put through by scrotes.
This I believe is driven by a belief that the great motoring public would never buy such a vehicle if alternatives existed. I'm not sure its 100% true, but certainly many people would not pay extra for the feature. unless of course insurers were going to offer big discounts for cars with evidence capture turned on... ...but I'm not sure how keen insurers are, it could work both ways. Currently they can use the "the cyclist came out of nowhere, the driver couldn't possible have seen him and so we deny the lifelong care costs" defence... might be awkward if there was mandatory evidence capture equipment fitted! I think it will happen though when we get more autonomous vehicles.
That’s when I turn mine off.
Me too, but because I live in a very rural area the 'when' is every single drive which becomes tedious. The auto manufacturers or governments who mandate this technology must assume everyone lives in a city and always drives on dual carriageways. It just doesn't work on unclassified country roads.
The lane assist steering you into a verge is one thing, the brake assist slamming the anchors on inappropriately is even worse. The last time it happened to me was on the approach to a 90° bend when it assumed I was going to collide with an oncoming tractor when we were both safely in the middle of our respective lanes. The car behind nearly rear ended me. This technology is being foisted on us when it's not yet sufficiently developed to be safe or practical.