Don't mean to be "Devil's Advocate' but I have some real reservations about some of the newest automotive collision-avoidance technology. The trucking industry is also moving in that direction with our rigs and I've already had less-than-satisfactory experiences with some of it. Don't get me wrong; I love technology. But there is
NOTHING that will replace good driving technique!!! I worry that we will become complacent, task-saturated
passengers sitting in the driver's seat as we come to believe that technology will always keep us safe.
A few examples: My rig has an "anti-collision" radar that detects objects in front and on the right side of the tractor. It has LED proximity indicators and a "beeping" tone that cannot be turned off. Imagine how quickly you mentally put it on "disregard" in heavy traffic. Also, it alerts on bridge abutments, guard rails and other non-automotive objects. Positive: it's useful in fog and can warn you of pedestrians.
Most trucks have a mirror mounted on the right fender to see objects that are on the right "blind side" area next to the cab. They work great. My carrier has now
removed the mirror and installed a camera on the dash. The camera in my truck (when it was working) was REALLY bright at night. Especially since the right turn signal was in the field of view...
) If the sun angle is just right, the camera diffuses the light into colors that would make Dr. Timothy Leary ECSTATIC.
I also find that I have to "refocus" when I go from the door mirror to the camera when making a lane change. Both the fender mirror and the door mirror were on the same plane. My guess is that our insurance company is giving us one heckuva discount for the cameras...
We've also tried the interactive cruise control and that is positively SCARY in a big truck. The idea of not having full control of my truck in traffic is unthinkable. The maintenace folks disconnected the interactive feature, thankfully.
There's also a "rollover" alarm. GREAT, just another noise to hear as you take the off-ramp too fast...
Sorry, it's too late when you're hearing that!
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