". ." (xllx)
10/06/2016 at 20:27 • Filed to: None
3
22|
". ." (xllx)
10/06/2016 at 20:27 • Filed to: None | 3
| 22 |
Imagine for a minute that you’ve been put in charge of a special car safety committee. You have the power to influence regulations car manufacturers have to adhere to. What small things, easily and cheaply achievable using current technology would you mandate in all future cars?
Here are some of my ideas:
1. A warning light for bad bulbs
This is such a simple thing that I’m completely baffled as to why it’s not more common. If certain manufacturers (Mercedes, BMW, MG, Volvo and more) can implement one of those, why can’t the rest? Mandating a warning light like this on all cars would weed out all the people who are simply oblivious to their cars having problems with lighting. No more cars with no brake lights, no more “stealth” cars that are barely visible at night. Those who still choose to drive with bulbs out would deserve a nice, fat ticket.
2. Tiered brake lights
A sightly more radical, but also reasonably simple idea. Why not make brake lights show how hard a car’s braking? In a 3 tier system we could have lights showing that the person ahead is just touching the brake, that they’re braking normally and that they’re making an emergency stop. Even a simpler 2 tier system would be an improvement. This would put an end to being scared by people riding their brakes on motorways or by those who can’t seem to drive smoothly in traffic.
3. Mandatory physical controls for HVAC and radio
I really hate the current trend of cramming all the possible functions of your car into a touchscreen infotainment system. While it’s nice that this seems to have solved the problem with way too many small buttons on the centre console that many cars in the mid 00's suffered from, we seem to have now arrived at the other extreme. I believe that all cars ought to have a way to operate the most used functions through physical buttons. Physical buttons are nice. They’re always there (unless you drive something French or Italian, in that case they may have fallen off) in the same place as usual, and you don’t even have to browse through any menus to find them! The functions I’d force manufacturers to bind to proper, physical controls are: radio volume, switch radio station/song, cabin temperature, and air recycling. I do not want to have to look down to a screen to find any of those.
For Sweden
> . .
10/06/2016 at 20:32 |
|
Automatic braking.
e36Jeff now drives a ZHP
> . .
10/06/2016 at 20:32 |
|
Not sure if you were being ironic or using it as an example, but your example photo for tiered brake lights is a car that, in its later iterations has them. I’ve only ever seen them do it on the track though.
CaptDale - is secretly British
> . .
10/06/2016 at 20:34 |
|
I like the bulb idea a lot, though my 928 I can’t find said tail light bulb that is out but they all work...
The tiered braking I think is a bitch much.
At least push buttons with a digital read out. I also hate the touch screen buttons.
I think tiered licenses would be best. Take more tests, take driving schools, ect. to be allowed to own and operate more powerful vehicles. Also between the ages of 25 and 55 you must retake the driving test and course with instructor every 10 years. Before and after that it is every 5 years.
The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock
> . .
10/06/2016 at 20:38 |
|
Making all auto makers put gas caps on one side. Mine is on the passenger side, all cars where I live have them on the drivers side. It save lots of fights & possible murders at the pump.
HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
> . .
10/06/2016 at 20:39 |
|
Our law automatic transmissions, except for special examples,like physically not being able to operate a car without assistance.
Rico
> . .
10/06/2016 at 20:49 |
|
Automatic lights that turn on at night or when it’s raining. If my phone can fit an ambient light sensor in for a couple of cents why can’t all automakers do it? I always see even brand new cars without this feature.
dogisbadob
> . .
10/06/2016 at 20:49 |
|
+1 to the bulb warning light. Funny how my 91 ES250 (Camry) had one but my 96 Maxima doesn’t.
Honeybunchesofgoats
> . .
10/06/2016 at 20:59 |
|
I love all of these.
My suggestion: headlamps that turn on automatically when the wipers are on. Are there any cars that have this? It seems so simple, that I imagine that there must be.
Maxima Speed
> dogisbadob
10/06/2016 at 21:03 |
|
Greetings fellow maximite:). How’s yours treating you, mine isn’t mine anymore :( but I still drive it because I sold it to my dad and my car was destroyed in an accident.
Love those cars
Svart Smart, traded in his Smart
> . .
10/06/2016 at 21:09 |
|
Dedicated amber turn signal lamps for all taillight clusters. None of this FMVSS bullshit where the same red bulb is allowed to pull triple duty as taillamp, brake lamp, and turn signal.
Probenja
> e36Jeff now drives a ZHP
10/06/2016 at 21:15 |
|
The newest ones flash the lights when the ABS kicks in, but I think i’ve seen some that turn on the rear fogs too.
|
dogisbadob
> Maxima Speed
10/06/2016 at 21:24 |
|
eh, not great, but it does run good for having 260k+ on it, but I’m getting rid of it as soon as I can afford to because of rust issues. I guess the car was worth $500 2 years ago when I got it, and I had high hopes for it too since it is a 4-door sports car (and the I30 is that same 4DSC with some more luxury and prestige added)
the radiator support is rusting, the stupid TPS shit, I already had to replace the knock sensor, and of course one of the rear calipers is seized. Basically all the common problems with these cars! I had to replace the tail light harnesses, and the license plate light bracket rusted out on me too.
And of course, I hate transverse V6 engines. The valve cover gasket job was a big job to say the least.
My next car is going to be a 4-cylinder Toyota! Either a 5-speed Camry or a Matrix XRS/Vibe GT.
Amoore100
> . .
10/06/2016 at 21:29 |
|
Better driver training.
Autonomous electric cars for idiots.
Clear the road for us petrolheads.
?????????????
Profit.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
Side note: my V50 goes beyond just saying a light is burnt out, it even has a little message saying “Driver’s side running light out” or something. Quite useful, really.
|
. .
> Amoore100
10/06/2016 at 21:35 |
|
Yeah, luxury car brands switched from just plain lights to more detailed warnings now, but even a regular ol’ idiot light would be useful in many cars.
merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
> Honeybunchesofgoats
10/06/2016 at 22:23 |
|
My 06 Cadillac STS and 05 cts-v had them, and both my audis had them, and I believe my new Pacifica has them as well, seems like a no- brainer
|
merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
> . .
10/06/2016 at 22:25 |
|
I like the idea of the flashing brake lights if you brake hard enough, that would be a good alert, but the 3 tier idea would be good too.
twochevrons
> Honeybunchesofgoats
10/06/2016 at 22:31 |
|
My 2015 VW GTI does this. It ties in with the rain sensing wipers, too, which is nice.
You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
> Honeybunchesofgoats
10/07/2016 at 00:15 |
|
Most or all of the newer Ford’s do this. I just wish my truck had an indicator light so that I could tell if the headlights have turned on or not.
Wagon, semi manual, not brown, turbo because volvo
> . .
10/07/2016 at 00:19 |
|
Seats and steering wheel that produce mild to severe corrective shocks to end driving while stupid.
|
You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
> . .
10/07/2016 at 00:20 |
|
Amber turn signals. How the US allows red rear turn signals is beyond me.
I like the idea of tiered brake lights. At least a two tier system where the brake lights flash under hard braking.
Rear fog lights mounted up high. I live in the snow belt and it can be damn difficult to see someone when it is snowing hard.
A built in fist in grey/black/white cars that beats the shit out of the driver if they don’t turn their lights on when it is rainy/foggy/snowy/otherwise poor visibility.
|
Maxima Speed
> dogisbadob
10/07/2016 at 05:22 |
|
Yeah I thought mine was pretty good as far as performance goes until I bought a Mazda 6 V6 (now deceased), those things will really scoot down a curvy road.
|
Honeybunchesofgoats
> You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
10/07/2016 at 09:42 |
|
God, yes. I’m neurotic enough that I don’t even trust my automatic lights to come on, so I either turn them on manually or end up obsessively checking my car’s reflection at a light.