New vehicle technology has dramatically changed both our vehicles and the way we drive. While much of the tech is focused on improving safety, some of it can be problematic in places like Fairfield County.
Electronic lane keeping and steering assistance work well on clear highways in good weather, but can be rendered essentially useless when the lane markings are covered in snow, or the vehicle’s cameras and sensors are blocked by dirt, snow or ice. The same goes for rear cross traffic alerts which can be immobilized when the sensors become blocked. If the driver is dependent on these driver assistance systems instead of using their own eyes, they may be at a loss when the sensors aren’t working.
Active lane assist is particularly challenging around 068 land. Recently when attempting to pass a cyclist when there was no oncoming traffic, I turned the wheel to pull across the center line of the road to give the rider a wide berth. Thinking I was distracted, the car tried to steer me back into the hapless cyclist. Had I not fought back with more input, I could have hit the rider. Using your turn signal disrupts the assist, but drivers rarely use blinkers in situations like this if there is no other car around.
A study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that “nearly 80 percent of drivers with blind spot monitoring systems were unaware of limitations or incorrectly believed the system could accurately detect bicycles and pedestrians. In reality, the technology can only detect when a vehicle is traveling in a driver’s blind spot and many systems do not reliably detect pedestrians or cyclists.” This is a real issue on our roads as a cyclist might be passing you as you slow to take a turn. Vehicles with side cameras can be a big benefit for actually seeing what’s next to you when your turn signal is activated.
With back-up cameras many drivers no longer use their mirrors or turn their heads to see behind them. This becomes a problem when the camera is dirty, blocked or distorted by rain. Secondly, the camera is only showing what is directly behind the vehicle and if you are not using your side view mirrors as well, you can miss an obstacle or person just out of the camera’s view.
Ford and GM smartly only allow hands-free driving on limited access highways and both have driver monitoring cameras. Rule of thumb: when driving on our local roads, keep your hands on the wheel at all times.
Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make it easy to take and make calls using voice commands, but some modern car infotainment systems are nearly impossible to use without looking at the screens. Adjusting the climate control or turning on the seat heater can cause distraction. That’s why I prefer proper knobs and buttons vs multi-level deep touch screens. The goal should be to keep our eyes focused on the road ahead. We recently drove four unique new vehicles to see how different manufacturers are using tech.
The BMW 760i xDrive is my favorite big luxury sedan, delivering Rolls-Royce levels of ride and passenger comfort with tons of tech. For the driver, the infotainment screen features 43 small icons, like apps on your phone, to control practically everything in the car. BMW’s Highway Assistant hands-free driving systems includes a camera for driver monitoring while Evasion Assistant will even help the driver make an emergency maneuver to avoid a collision. Lucky rear passengers have individual 5.5-inch touchscreens mounted on each door to control seats, climate, and a massive 31” wide roof mounted theater screen.
Once you get past the sexy sheet metal of the all-new Toyota Prius you’ll find a re-imagined cockpit and plenty of tech. The Prius has a camera to constantly monitor the driver to warn of distraction. My excellent Prius Prime tester was actually fun to drive and featured a solar panel roof, panoramic camera, self-parking and Illumination Notification, which alerts you when the car in front pulls away. Neat!
Audi’s Virtual Cockpit gives the driver a customizable instrument cluster. Along with Audi’s head-up display, you have the most important information at eye-level. After spending a week with the ferocious 401 hp Audi RS3 sports sedan, I can confirm you’ll want both hands on the wheel.
Amazon’s new Electric Van, built by Rivian, is a complete re-imagining of the ubiquitous deliver van with a focus on safety. Nick Mirabile of Danbury’s Bold Move Logistics let me get behind the wheel of one of their new vans. Technology includes a 360-degree view to protect pedestrians, collision warnings and automatic braking. The electronic routing, navigation and driver monitoring ensures drivers are not distracted. I was impressed with the comfort and maneuverability of such a large vehicle. If they would only fix that annoying quacking back-up sound. •
