I see the forthcoming (and handsome) Vauxhall Isignia comes with "a wide-angle lens, so it can read signs at the roadside and centre lane markings simultaneously, and can take 30 pictures a second. Depending on the available light, it begins to read road signs from a distance of 100 metres, and when it recognises a number, it displays it on the instrument panel. "
A manufacturer has developed a system which saves the driver from reading, let alone understanding, roadside signing.
Personally, I think a threshold has been crossed. Whereas Merc with their night vision technology and Citroen/Honda and their lane-drift warning systems, have developed systems which improve safety and awareness, this Vauxhall system is supplementing basic road knowledge and the sort of abilities one has to demonstrate when they take a driving test.
The bizarre irony is the system displays the road-sign meanings on the dash, thereby taking your eyes off the road itself. Good grief.
Any opinions on this, or am I being slightly too indignant?
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No, I totally agree with you. Far too much these days we are removed form the reality of driving. We can become so used to these "features" that we stop using the skills we should all be enhancing each time we drive.
Andyfr
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100%, andy.
As 'drivers' we know our limitations, but how many 'car users' will assume the car will do everything for them?
we've already seen the muppets tailgating at 70MPH because they assume that ABS *WILL* let them stop on a sixpence. Then we've got morons pushing the envelope of stuff like brakeforce distribution, traction control and active suspension control etc because they have been given what they perceive as automotive get-out-of-jail-free features, without the knowledge of how, why, when and how it SHOULD work.
As Mr Scott said : "Ye cannae change the laws of physics, captain!!!"
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If it's going to scan for any visible numbers and display them on the screen; then it's going to be spinning like a fruit machine approaching some roundabouts...
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or at wheelie bins in t'estate down the road.
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Certain to make mistakes too, by flashing up the wrong number (there are often numbers all over the landscape. Indeed I once saw a rather embarrassed looking herd of black and white cattle with big numbers stencilled on their rumps... I mean using a ticket punch on a girl's ears is one thing, or a little brand, but this is just so... so... well, chav. They didn't know which way to look).
Edited by Lud on 25/07/2008 at 18:57
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Any opinions on this, or am I being slightly too indignant?
My opinion - you should have quoted the full function of the feature:
"The Vauxhall Insignia is the first car in the world that can read speed limit and no-overtaking signs and display them on the instrument panel.
It has a wide-angle lens, so it can read signs at the roadside and centre lane markings simultaneously, and can take 30 pictures a second.
Depending on the available light, it begins to read road signs from a distance of 100 metres, and when it recognises a number, it displays it on the instrument panel.
No-overtaking signs are given priority over speed limits.
The system, developed in partnership with lighting specialists Hella, also acts as a lane-departure warning system, giving an audible and visual alert if you inadvertently stray off course."
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Far too indignant IMHO
I mean all those people with SatNav - can't they read the road signs and a map?
And what about all those people with speed trap notification can't they see the vans/cameras?
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Since there is no legislation which prevents manufacturers from offering such devices in car, we can't really complain.
I personally won't buy a car with such useless [& expensive] facility BUT we are all technical minded people here and there a lots of other people who will love this feature.
I also won't prefer auto light/wiper, lane departure etc etc.
Car manufacturers have run out of real ideas - so now they have to make profit on accessories and gadgets.
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I personally won't buy a car with such useless [& expensive] facility BUT we are all technical minded people here and there a lots of other people who will love this feature. I also won't prefer auto light/wiper lane departure etc etc.
I take it you drive a 1994 Peugeot 106 diesel with none of these added features?
You should try some. Before I got autowipers I thought whats the point, I am perfectly capable of turning wipers on. But it's actually such a fantastic feature. Simply switch the wipers on and the system does the rest. If the rain starts to fall heavily, it speeds up. If it stops, it stops. If I go past a truck kicking out loads of spray, it speeds up.
Leaves me free to think about more important things like actually driving.
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Nice looking motor though.
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Surely this would only be of use to someone who is far too short-sighted to be driving in the first place? (and has forgotten their glasses...)
I suppose if the warning remained on the instrument panel until the next one was recognised, it might be marginally useful when you miss a speed limit sign, and there isn't another one for a while.
Personally, I'd prefer oil temperature and presssure gauges on my dashboard...
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I reckon this is defo a feature to far - it will only encourage drivers to be less observant, bacome more lazy and eventually lead to, if not more accidents, then more serious ones.
Won't be long until a driver spends more time loooking at, or paying attention to, all the fancy displays (Sat-Nav, Radio RDS, CD titles, trip meters, outside temperature guages, radar systems, Cellphone texts, etc) and spends less time actually looking where he's going.
Bad enough people who drive blindly using Sat-Nav and don't notice that the road ahead has become a river 4 foot deep...!!!
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The real question . . . . .
Is the car clever enough to stop the driver from disobeying the signs it has seen - if not then no point to the feature since surely the most important signs to warn you about are those like
"Give way in 100m"
"School"
"Play Street"
Etc.
Or is the feature just aimed at avoiding points?
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I'm interested to know how they managed with the cruise control buttons this time around, in Vectra they were so, so, so stupidly mounted - in the end of the indicator stalk. How's the situation now, anyone ?
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