- Collision Mitigation Braking System - designed to reduce impact when a collision is unavoidable.
- Road Departure Mitigation System - designed to keep the vehicle in its late. I like to think of it as "sneeze protection."
- Adaptive Cruise Control - maintains a specified distance behind a vehicle. So, set the cruise at 70 mph, and if a car slows down in front of me, the van slows down. The car in front speeds up, the van speeds up. Nifty for semi-urban or busy interstate environments.
- Lane Keeping Assist System - applies subtle steering corrections to keep the van centered in its lane.
- Blind Spot Information System - detects a car in my blind spot.
- Cross Traffic Monitor - gives a warning in reverse when a vehicle is approaching from the side.
- Auto High-Beam Headlights - Automatically manages high beams at night above a certain speed.
All of these are fantastic features, and are downright useful. Driving back from Chicago, the Adaptive Cruise Control performed well. The Cross Traffic Monitor is super helpful in parking lots - inching backwards, if a vehicle is approaching for either side, you get an audible alert and directional arrows on the center screen indicating where the vehicle is coming from. The Blind Spot Information System does its job, and the Auto High-Beam Headlights are great at night on dark roads.
That said, as a human, I can see further ahead and anticipate better. I turn off the bright lights a bit sooner than the automated high beams. I rarely use the brakes on the interstate, while the ACC system brakes comparatively frequently.
And then, there is weather.
I recently completed a 300 mile drive in a winter storm, on snow-packed interstates. The lane markings were just gone, with only relatively sparse road-side reflectors giving a visual indicator as to where the lane ended.
As I drove along, the following warning appeared on the dash:
That meant that anything relying on forward-looking radar was off duty. Collision mitigation and adaptive cruise (which I would never use in this situation anyway) were on break. When I stopped for gas, the reason for this warning became evident. The front of the van was covered in a slushy, icy glaze:
Fortunately, I had mounted a set of Michelin winter tires before this trip:
The Michelins did their job admirably, providing traction and a clear indication, typically accompanied by a flashing traction control light, when traction was insufficient.
Which brings me to the end of the story:
Technology is a wonderful thing. As a species, we have created systems that help improve our lives and help keep us safe. However, it is naive to think of them as replacements for human judgement or attentiveness.
My moniker for the Lane Keep Assist and Road Departure Mitigation systems is "Sneeze Control." Don't think that because these systems are in place and functioning that it gives you license to text, or otherwise divert your attention from the task at hand: driving.
While there is no doubt that Tesla's "Autopilot" is more complete, my perspective is the same: it's about helping the humans, not replacing what we do. I believe "Autopilot" is a misnomer - it's much closer to "sneeze control," especially when the weather turns south.
Embrace technology as an assistant and tool, not as a colleague or friend. I'm certainly not ready to trust it with my life, or the lives of my family.
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