It just never ends. Probably because it’s not logical for it to end. Having accepted that it’s a good and even necessary thing to have “safety technology” in cars, it is inevitable we’ll get more of the same – because “safety” doesn’t have an end point. There is no such thing as “safe” enough, in other words.
There is always room for more.
Well, here it is!
This week, I am test driving the ’25 Hyundai Santa Fe. Like every new vehicle, it has what’s generally styled Lane Keep Assist (other manufacturers use variations of this styling) which uses cameras mounted in the vehicle’s front end (part of the reason why it has become so expensive to repair/replace – and so to insure – modern cars) that eyeball the center divider line and the shoulder line. If you drive too close to either of these painted lines, you’ll get a correction that comes in the form of either a warning light flashing and a warning buzzer or both. Some of the more “advanced” systems will use the electrically-assisted power steering (which almost all new vehicles now have as well) to correct you with countersteering inputs. These can be really annoying in that they make it difficult to drive smoothly sometimes, as when changing lanes or making turns if you haven’t signaled first (the signaling turns off the correcting).
This latter is meant to badger you into mindless compliance with “the rules.” Because that’s precisely what’s wanted; i.e., mindless compliance with “the rules” – and the exercise of judgment on a situational basis is exactly the opposite of that. If there is no traffic behind or ahead of you or even anywhere to be see, why signal prior to making a turn off the road? It’s like holding the door open for a person who isn’t there.
If it seems like a small ask – as people who like “the rules” like to say – it isn’t. Because being expected to be mindlessly compliant is a very big ask. It is a request to suspend one’s critical faculties and just do as you’re told, even when it’s obviously pointless or stupid – simply because you have been told to do it. From the poisoned well to a mind-poisoned society.
End of segue.
The Santa Fe has more than just Lane Keep Assist. More than just the flashing lights, chimes and obnoxious electric-tugging of the steering wheel in the direction opposite the direction you’re steering. To badger you even more, the system cuts the audio if the car thinks you’re straying too close to the yellow center line or the white shoulder line. Or have turned off the road/lane-changed without signaling. The volume of the stereo goes down to inaudible for a moment, until the car decides you’re keeping within your travel lane.
This assumes you aren’t keeping within your travel lane. As opposed to treading ever-so-slightly over the painted line. The distinction is important. As everyone knows, the painted lines are not-uncommonly painted off-skew by the DOT crew. Hewing exactly to the in-between is often not the right line. For example, in a corner, the white line on the shoulder side is not-uncommonly painted several inches away from the actual shoulder, which (if you want to avoid being badgered) means scooching farther to the left – toward the center line – than is either necessary or proper for holding the right line in a corner. Sometimes, the painted center line is off center and so you’d be off your line if you hewed to its line.
Point being, it’s another example of mindless obedience, enforced by technology that, as far as I have been able to determine, not a single buyer would willingly pay extra for as optional equipment. Instead, it has all been made standard, for the obvious reason – to any person with a thinking brain – that it is all about badgering us into mindless obedience. Every traffic law must be obeyed exactly, else cue the badgering.
You cannot even reverse many new vehicles without them turning down the stereo to inaudible as you do, because some Safety Geek decided that people are too addled to reverse out of a parking spot while listening to the stereo. They might be paying attention to the stereo, in other words, rather than whatever might be behind them as they reverse. It assumes everyone’s incapable of safely reversing a car while listening to the stereo without “assistance.”
That is to say, without badgering.
One can see where this is headed because it’s as obvious as where the income tax was headed when it was passed back in 1913. Only a compleat idiot could have believed that “only the rich” will have to pay – as people were assured would be the case. The principle having been accepted, it was inevitable that everyone would pay (except the rich, who availed themselves of various exemptions and deductions and loopholes, as they’re styled, to avoid paying their “fair share”). The income tax was always a scheme to make the average person pay, in order to make it so that only the rich – for the most part – could ever hope to accumulate any real wealth.
It is probably only a matter of time before new cars slow down when it rains. It will be styled Rain Assist Technology or something like that. The same goes for slowing down at night. When the sensors detect the sun has gone down, so will the speed you’re allowed to drive.
How will anyone logically argue against any of this – having already agreed that “safety” is everything?
. . .
If you like what you’ve found here please consider supporting EPautos.
We depend on you to keep the wheels turning!
Our donate button is here.
If you prefer not to use PayPal, our mailing address is:
EPautos
721 Hummingbird Lane SE
Copper Hill, VA 24079
PS: Get an EPautos magnet or sticker or coaster in return for a $25 or more one-time donation or a $10 or more monthly recurring donation. (Please be sure to tell us you want a magnet or sticker or coaster – and also, provide an address, so we know where to mail the thing!)
If you’d like a Baaaaa hat or other EPautos gear, see here!
When my wife’s with me in the car, I have all the safety alarms I need.
“Philo”!
Why would people willingly pay sums of money to have even more alarms in the car with them? One all-purpose alarm is enough.
Philo, you’ve hit on a basic truth.The wife shotgun driver safety alarm. I hear it all the time. I’m fearful that will be the next nanny warning alarm system courtesy of AI. If you patent it you’ll be a billionaire.
With the “self driving car” software someone has most certainly already developed and patented many iterations of the back seat driver, shotgun driver, mother in law driver bla bla bla. It’s in many SciFi movies including the Total Recall Johnny Cab.
Back in 2007, we purchased a new Toyota RAV4 to replace my 1992 Nissan Stanza. I liked the Stanza but it was getting old. My wife, a Toyota wonk, liked the RAV4, not least because it had click-in seatbelts rather than the “automatic” seatbelts that the Stanza had, which would strangle you if you weren’t careful. I was used to the things and actually liked them. I drove the RAV then primarily for work, and would put my personal bag, lunch bag, and any other stuff on the passenger seat. After awhile, either all my stuff got heavier or the seat sensor got more delicate, and one day I got this “beep beep beep” very annoying and very disconcerting warning. I quickly found some “click ins” that would trick the car into thinking that the passenger seatbelt was fastened. Problem solved! That’s about the worst nannying the RAV does.
Fast forward to today. My wife and I had to travel to visit her dad in the rest home last year, and then a month later to bury him. We rented a car both trips. One was a Kia Soul, which I actually kinda liked, mostly because it had a physical key that you stuck in the slot and turned – that kind of old-fashioned thing spoke to me! The other was a Ford Escape, which I wanted so badly to escape from…between a leaky tire (that set off the tire pressure warning but wouldn’t let you switch to that display full time to constantly monitor the sick tire), dim displays that I could hardly read in bright sunlight, and just overall unnecessary “dashboard complexity,” I was ready to turn that thing in at the airport rental. I hope we can keep our cars (the RAV4 and a 2004 Sienna van) running forever. I can’t stand these new cars. I just want something I can drive!
I have to turn off the rear emergency braking on my ’23 Titan Pro 4X manually every time I back up my travel trailer or it engages. I actually like it when backing into my garage as I have to hug the left wall so my wife can back her car in and open her door. Otherwise it tows better than my ’18 and ’13 F-150 5.0 FX4s. The 5.6 has more HP and torque and the Mercedes designed 9 speed is smoother, holds gear better at a lower rpm and no hunting. So far so good. The nanny does remind me to check the back seat all the time and recommends a driver break every so often. Otherwise no ASS or cylinder deactivation.
Hi Vic,
Yup; I’ve dealt with that in various press loaner vehicles. My ’02 Nissan pickup never pesters me with chimes and other nannying. Believe it or not, it hasn’t even got a seatbelt buzzer. Yes, I love it very much!
Thanks for the reply Eric. Have to say Nissan makes good trucks. IMHO the Titan is a better truck than the F-150. I looked underneath and thought “wow, that’s a seriously heavy frame for a half ton”. It’s like “they” want to eliminate all the great vehicles. I rented a CX-90 when I was in Honolulu for a week. It was a good car but had ridiculous Robby the robot nanny features. It would warn you about everything. “Danger Will Robinson, danger!” And with the proximity unlock/lock I was never sure if the car was locked or unlocked, I always had to double check with the fob. Hated that, very annoying. My wife’s ’23 MIJ CX-5 PP has some nanny stuff, but it’s relatively unobtrusive. And it has manual lock/unlock the the FOB or the door button. And the mirrors fold when it’s locked so you know for sure it’s locked. Another revelation was when my flight home was delayed so I stayed over one more day and I rented a new Corolla. I was amazed, it was a great car. Peppy, handled very well, solid well designed and built and not a lot of nanny stuff. I was very surprised and impressed with that car. I know, I know, it’s got a CVT.
My 2018 F-150 has been excellent, but if I replace it, an older Tundra or Titan will be on the short list. Other than a boatload of recalls, I have nothing to complain about but I wouldn’t mind going back to more basic drivetrain and a steel body.
Hey Mr. Bigfoot- One of the great things about the F-150 is the boatload of trims and options, with the higher trims having a lot of bling. The Titan is more of a “one trick pony” with one engine choice, but it’s a great engine. The Tundra with the 5.7 is sweet, especially if you get a newer model in good condition. But you’re going to pay for it.
I can tell you on snow covered roads, no one gives a crap where the lines are, and neither do the state troopers, either. When the roads start clearing up, everyone drives where the lanes are clear, the lines be damned. You will never find any LEO pulling anyone over because they were not driving within the lines. It is beyond stupid, and is merely slave training for the masses who are willing to be obedient. And for those who are not will be forced out of their vehicles at some point. No one likes this stuff, but there is no push back, either.
Why would anyone go deeply in debt for these POS’s? The mind boggles.
Morning, Mark!
I don’t get it, either. Every time I drive my old truck or my ancient Trans-Am, neither of which have any “safety technology,” I am reminded how enjoyable it used to be to go for a drive…
My newest vehicle is an ’07 a 5-spd. Matrix…in red. Ironic, isn’t it?
Nor do I understand the psychotic nature of those that seek power.
Lol. Nice.
Morning, Mark!
Yup, my newest is an ’03 Kawasaki, one of the last sport bikes with carbs and without a computer. I bought it new. It is probably the last vehicle I will ever buy new.
“how enjoyable it used to be”
What they took from us:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxIWDmmqZzY
It certainly doesn’t help that much of the nanny tech is poorly implemented as well.
I think much of it is outright dangerous.
Who in the hell wants to be nagged and henpecked by some old shrew?
You don’t stand a chance, you’re going to be told what to do.
Dotgov is in control, your car is not your car, it’s a tyrannical tool to keep you in line.
If you don’t wear a mask, your car won’t start.
I hate buggin’, all that safety harasses you constantly, all it really does.
Kill dotgov!
Get me out of here.
More beer!
Talk about “safeeettyyy” — TRY this one. DRIVE a fully loaded service truck. Right at the listed GVW, or beyond with your own upfit of special suspension – see what happens. With the extra weight you have to plan stops because of the extra weight. Corners can be bad – the weight throws your projection off due to centrifugal force. And forget driving in heavy rain or much worse snow — your stopping distance will increase by a factor of at least two if you don’t know how to control the truck.
So when are they going to make “safety” devices for the commercial driver? NEVER — why? Because every truck is weighted different, and you had better have the heaviest stuff near or on the floor and tie everything down so it won’t shift in a sudden stop — or highway maneuver. Just what I want — a ladder suddenly appearing behind me and coming this way – or some product suddenly flying by and bouncing off the windshield.
Driving a commercial van loaded to the max with everything you need o a job is not a job for the average driver — under any circumstances. AND don’t event think of having a wreck – your extra weight will add to the mess due to Newton’s laws of gravity and force.
Not to mention the boss ain’t going to be happy that you just trashed a very expensive vehicle and it’s load – not to add you just cost the company job time increases due to one less vehicle on the road and the supplies and tool which did not get to the job site.
Something for all of you car drivers to think about — and avid a lettered commercial at any cost. you may find like the big rigs we can’t stop on a dime, or swerve to avoid you — which why I always looking out for trouble.
This all started with you accepted those options like auto transmissions and cruise control A real car has crank start.
Only half kidding.
It’s in our nature not to stop when we solved a problem. Some of it is refinement but we don’t stop when it’s done.
Think about everything humans do.
We all know about cars. The muscles cars, the 1990s Japanese cars, etc. Best in their categories.
How about when humans wanted to fly. So we tinkered with balloons and air ships. Figured out the airplane. At first they were crude, we got them perfected and then took it too far.
The best aircraft were in the 1960s or so time frame. Beautiful ones like the Constellation, very functional like a Piper Cub, best at the job like a 747. Some of them are still in service, like a B-52 and C-130, in cases where nothing better can be done even when cost isn’t a strict requirement.
Nothing now is better than what they’re replacing.
Music, audio gear, musical instruments, computers. Nothing now is really any better than a decade , a few decades or even century ago. More complex, maybe improved in a few specific ways. But any measurable improvement came with a dozen things that you didn’t need or ask for.
Then there is this:https://carbuzz.com/porsche-clearmotion-chassis-suspension-technology-agreement/
This may actually work. The one thing the Germans are good at is suspensions. Choosing a US company for the electronics is a good move, as the Germans aren’t good at that.
$65
https://www.autozone.com/suspension-steering-tire-and-wheel/shock-strut/p/duralast-gold-shock-ms34-31842bg/1333704_0_0?searchText=shocks
I couldn’t drive cars with this type of autocorrect around here.
I often lane drift through curves instead of braking.
I figure I’m saving the planet by using less gas, therefore I’m “green”, which means I’m right and virtuous.
Even if not, it is more fun to use the whole road if I can.
They got new trucks for the fleet at work, F150s with this nonsense. I tend to cut the apex of turns, especially when I can see there’s no traffic I’ll try to steer as little as possible. That stupid steering wheel constantly shaking makes me think I’ve throw all my wheel weights. Very annoying. I’ll keep my old truck, thank you.
Can you disable it?
If they are like the Fords we have it can’t be turned off completely. All you can do is turn it down to be less strict and abrupt.
During COVID hysteria, I’m surprised the federal government (particularly under the Biden regime) didn’t require automobile manufacturers to install devices in their vehicles to determine whether the driver took the latest mRNA COVID “vaccines” (and booster jabs) pushed by the government & Big Pharma. After all, the whole demented push to have EVERYONE VAXXED was also framed as a matter of saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaafety.
But considering there’s also climate change hysteria and a demented push to monitor “Carbon footprints”, if the next president is someone who’s ALL IN with “Climate Action” & “Net Zero”, new vehicles could eventually be required to monitor EVERYONE inside and monitor their “Carbon footprints”, which might also be framed as saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaafety or perhaps even cliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimate saaaaaaaaaaaaafety.
Do not give them any ideas, John. I am sure that is coming, and probably sooner rather than later.
Shadow,
Such “technology” is all but guaranteed to come if the next president is Pete Buttigieg, Gavin Newsom, or someone else who subscribes to their line of thinking, and there may also be efforts to frame vehicles that DON’T come with it as “Dirty” or “Unsafe”.
Sadly, I can see that in the future as well. Include the laws that make it illegal to fix vehicles that are older than 10-15 years old, and make it impossible to find parts for said vehicles, and you have all you need to control the movement of people.
I’ve read that some parts of Europe already have such laws.
Is there any evidence at all that these safety features are working? Howsabout some of these DOT pencil pushers give us some updated statistics?
Just like self-driving cars, they’re going to be in an “eternal beta test” of sorts. Don’t actually allow them without waivers, because they’re not perfect. Because accidents will continue there’s going to be liability for them, and there’s no way Waymo is paying out for damages under normal operating expenses. But under a beta test that’s not expected to be profitable? Well, gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette, eh?
Every time I start the Cherokee the display shows a bit of legalese telling me not to rely on the “driver aids” and navigation system. Well gee wiz, if you’re not going to stand behind your product then why have them to begin with? Sort of the opposite of a guarantee on the box of shit. If this stuff is so wonderful, why have an off switch? Why have disclaimers? Either it works or it doesn’t. Don’t f*** around with beta testing your products on millions of drivers, make it work!
Maybe this graphic will post, not sure. The statistics don’t seem to favor nanny assistance. Cars or drivers were getting safer until they weren’t during COVID. Now it’s possible this is the distraction from all the “tech” or maybe has nothing to do with that and it’s physical changes in the drivers themselves from some common thing done to the whole population. What could that be?
[img]https://driving-tests.org/driving-statistics/img/2025/Fatality%20rate%20by%20year.png[/img]
https://driving-tests.org/driving-statistics/
I worked at a Volvo dealership back in the 80s. There was a wall dedicated to the insane crashes that our customers walked away from. No air bags, no nanny tech, yet the damn things survived crazy crashes.
We solved the basic problems a long time ago. I think complexity for complexity’s sake is cooked into our DNA.
You make an interesting point about why more safety features keep getting added. 2 years ago when I got my 4th 3 year lease, the relationship between the car dealer and us was almost confrontational with respect to us getting what we wanted vs what the salesman was trying to push. I came in to order a 340i, unhappy with the performance of the 2020 3 series, which had a laggy 4 cylinder. So I was paying a lot more yet instead of agreeing, the salesman was trying to push me into an ecar, which I made clear was not wanted, and arguing that they were better. What!? It was so weird. Leasing means now you’re in the dealership every three years and this year things were suddenly “off”. And when we told them how much we hated the assists, he just agreed that everyone hates them and I could turn them off. There were few customer’s and no energy in the dealership.
Thanks, RS!
I hear this a lot – and it tells me there is a growing disconnect between what people want in a vehicle and what is being pushed on people. There are many things to like about new cars but also a lot that serves to make one dislike them. The very first thing I do when I get a new vehicle to test drive, is disable as many of the saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaafety features as I can. But I find that , more and more, the most you’re allowed to do is turn them down a little, kind of like the Inner Party people were allowed to turn down the volume of their Telescreens.
I was at the Audi dealer picking up some parts and was chatting with one of the sales guys. They are having a hell of a time moving the new stuff and he too blamed how over-teched everything is. He said he would love to have a lot of pre-2010 vehicles!
What next? Maybe the car will have an *Armed Government Worker* confessional app. It will Narc out the driver of the car for every violation they committed over the last year and turn over evidence of the *crime* for officer.
Most cars built in the past almost decade (since about 2014) have black boxes (we call them event data recorders) with your history of throttle, braking, steering and resulting acceleration in multi-dimensions. This reality is already here. You know how the insurance companies are trying to sell “safe” driver discounts? That is usually a little dongle you plug into your OBD port that grabs this data and sends to them. In accidents, particularly fatal ones, the police will download this data during the investigation, if your car has it, to reconstruct the accident and what you did or didn’t do.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Event_data_recorder
What happens with this crap on a dirt road?
Same thing that happens in heavy rain, fog or snow. It all shuts down.
So when I might like to have advanced warning that there’s a slower car ahead of me, it doesn’t work. Thanks for nothin’!
Thanks RK …I bet its not happy about that. Think I will keep my old cars.
So if it all shuts down in fog, storms, etc. I wonder if taping over all the sensors would shut it off permanently. Or maybe doing that would prevent you from starting the car in the first place? Enquiring minds want to know.
It will. A good coating of slush and mag chloride will disable the system, but then it “reminds you” that the assistance is offline every 15 minutes or so.
So the five saaaafety feature controls on the Clownscreen have both cartoon icons and English translations — for now.
This is commendable. But after giving
sheepdrivers a few years to learn these new mandatory symbols, the legends will be taken away.Memorize these silly cartoons now, comrades — before you fail a roadside saaaaafety knowledge test and get your license lifted.
The legends won’t be taken away, but the controls will be. Like the No Smoking lights on airplanes. There’s still a space for a switch up in the cockpit but there’s just a blank that fills in the hole.
Hi Ready.
I’ve flown in older planes that still had their ashtrays but wasn’t allowed to use them for their intended purpose. 🙁
Apparently they saved fuel when they banned smoking on planes because they could reduce the number of air changes due to the cost of heating the replacement air.
At one time they had a designated smoking area on USN subs as the air purification system had no problem with cigarette smoke as it had been designed to clean the out gassing from all the wiring, motors etc. Useless trivia perhaps from ancient articles but it shows how much we have been propagandized. Damn you Edward Bernays.
Apparently at Hyundai and all the other car companies no one has ever swerved for roadkill or potholes?
That said, how long will it be before the safety chumps require you to slow down in school zones 24/7 regardless of whether there are any kids there or not? The possibility exists that a kid “might” be crossing the street at 2:00 AM; so safety first and lower the speed limit year round.
Of course none of our elected “leaders” is dumb enough to consider doing something like that…….
I’ve noticed there are pretty well-defined ruts in the travel lanes on I70. I guess that’s just where the big rigs settle in, but it also happens to be where the lane assist wants my Cherokee. Just moving over a few inches makes a massive difference in ride comfort, but the lane keeper will nudge you back into the ruts. Thank goodness there’s a switch.
Once the switches are gone, what then? Will highways need more maintenance as they wear in the “sweet spot” while the rest of the highway is pristine? Will the lane-keep proletariat vote for more road maintenance while the rest of us enjoy the smooth ride and freedom of riding slightly right of center?