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A significant portion of the cost of new cars is driven by government-mandated safety equipment, and other new technology. All increase costs, not just when new, but to maintain/repair. What ones do you want, what would you do without?
Anti-lock brakes? I can do without. A well maintained conventional system is perfectly acceptable to me as an experienced driver. The number of times my anti-locks have engaged (when I wanted them to) is minimal, maybe 1-2. Most of the time I'd rather not have them. (I do prefer them on my motorcycles though).
Air bags? I can live without. Seat belts are sufficient as far as I am concerned.
Backup cameras? Um...why? I have mirrors. If I lived in a city/suburb with lots of kids and sidewalks, I might want them. But for me they are of little value.
Stability control? Nah. Train drivers, don't expect tech to do it all.
Smart cruise control/automatic brake systems? Not so sure it's necessary. In 40 years of driving I've never rear-ended anyone.
I have nothing against any of these technologies. I simply think they should be available as options for those that want them. Not mandated for everyone. What say you?
Antilock brakes and airbags are standard on cars and they do work. A seat belt might save you from being thrown from a vehicle. An airbag could keep you from going to the hospital.
I like my backup camera. Doesn't really make me safer, but it sure is easier to back into a parking spot. I have radar that shoots out from the back to alert me to cross traffic. It was part of the LED headlight package I added. I like bright lights, so the radar is just a bonus.
Smart cruise was an option I passed on. I do not need that. Likewise high speed autobraking. I do have low speed auto braking because of that same package. Don't think I need that either.
Oh, and Blind Sport monitoring. I love this. I don't use it to look for me, I like that when I pass someone it indicates it's safe to move in front of someone. I'll never be that guy that cuts to closely in front of you.
Anti Lock brakes are the best improvement i a couple of decades. You can steer while panic braking and they just might save you from hitting something. You stop sooner than just skidding.
Drive by wire I don't think adds any real significant cost. I could be wrong, but.. I figure that's pretty negligible.
The airbags.. Now.. I'm not AGAINST airbags.. And there's no making them an option anyway as they are mandated.. But.. The sheer NUMBER of them in vehicles now is a bit excessive. Cheaper to develop the technology to encase you in carbonite at the first sign of an accident.
I have a older rather low tech car (but high performance-WRX); manual, no stability control, but with air bags and anti-lock brakes (no brake force distribution- and honestly I'm with you, actually stomped on my brakes enough to invoke ABS twice in 16 years), definitely no rear cameras or anything fancier than that and it seems just fine for me. There is no way I can drive my car without complete attention being paid to the task at hand, which is what most of these nanny electronics are being put in place to save you- when you aren't actually concentrating on driving, so I agree with the gist of your basic contention.
But I also am in a region with notorious traffic, and honestly abhorrent driving behavior from enough folks to make even the most level headed individual (which I try to be one of) more than a little exasperated at times. And honestly I am completely fine and actually looking forward to increasingly autonomous driving cars in the future. It is not for me; I can drive just fine, park, have my mirrors adjusted correctly and car/tires in tip top shape- and certainly if I still lived in an area where easy, quick access to delightful rural driving roads was just around the corner this would absolutely not be the case- but 90% of the time I am just driving to work, or to a job site in L.A. on insanely crowded freeways so the more safety features and less that I have to watch out and avoid all the horrible drivers out there the better.
Most of this stuff will become standard equipment whether you like it or not so it's not like we really have a choice. You keep your old, low tech car- my 16 y.o. has 62k miles so I'm good for several years, but when you buy new you are getting the nanny electronics- good and bad.
I'll take them all. And I've been driving for almost 50 years. A lot of older people are afraid of new technology. I embrace it. That's why I bought a 2015 Hyundai Sonata Limited with Ultimate and Tech packages. It has pretty much everything except for Automatic Emergency Braking, a feature not available until the 2016 model year.
A significant portion of the cost of new cars is driven by government-mandated safety equipment, and other new technology. All increase costs, not just when new, but to maintain/repair. What ones do you want, what would you do without?
Anti-lock brakes? I can do without. A well maintained conventional system is perfectly acceptable to me as an experienced driver. The number of times my anti-locks have engaged (when I wanted them to) is minimal, maybe 1-2. Most of the time I'd rather not have them. (I do prefer them on my motorcycles though).
Air bags? I can live without. Seat belts are sufficient as far as I am concerned.
Backup cameras? Um...why? I have mirrors. If I lived in a city/suburb with lots of kids and sidewalks, I might want them. But for me they are of little value.
Stability control? Nah. Train drivers, don't expect tech to do it all.
Smart cruise control/automatic brake systems? Not so sure it's necessary. In 40 years of driving I've never rear-ended anyone.
I have nothing against any of these technologies. I simply think they should be available as options for those that want them. Not mandated for everyone. What say you?
I too am against non driver devices and interferences.
Traction control
Stability control
ABS (removed ABS fuse in the winter months when I lived in NY)
Know people permanently disabled by air bags always with every vehicle I had, I removed air bag fuse and pulled the wires to the inflator.
Seat belt and retractor is sufficient.
I've studied car safety for 13 years, and I'm a firm believer in modern safety features. I've been to the IIHS and seen two real-life crash tests. I remember when I got my first car in 2012, I was adamant about getting something with good crash test ratings, at least 6 airbags (front, side, and side curtain) and ABS and stability control. The 2008 Honda Accord sedan I got ended up saving my mom's life when she was t-boned right in the driver door. The side and side curtain airbags deployed and she only got a couple of bruises. The airbags did not injure her one bit.
I have a 2011 Honda Accord V6 sedan now. It has six airbags, excellent crash test ratings, ABS, stability control, and good brakes and handling. It even has a backup camera. I wish I had the blind spot monitoring, auto brake, etc.
The last time I forgot to wear my seat belt was October 2004, I was 11 years old. Car safety has come a long way since then.
As for people who are scared of airbags, it's only some of the old airbags (pre-1998) that can be very dangerous. That year they came out with "depowered" airbags that have 25-30% less explosive force. Since the mid-2000s they've had "advanced" airbags that are even safer. I knew a girl who was probably 5'2 and sat pretty close to the wheel. Drove a 2009 Honda Accord and got in a pretty bad front end crash. Car totaled, front airbags inflated. She was fine. She even said the airbag didn't hurt that bad. I am not scared of my airbags in the least. If you sit pretty close to the wheel (less than a foot) a modern airbag may give you minor injuries but in a severe crash, it's a lot better than the alternative.
The only conveniences that I don't like are the auto braking, the "wandering out of your lane" signal, auto parking and proximity sensors. I like the rest.
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