Safety requirement?

[coreyasl]

BMW left turn assistant uses lasers to help you avoid running people over
By Brian Heater posted May 16th 2011 9:22PM

BMW continues to fight the good fight: making sure you hit fewer people with its luxury vehicles. The German automaker is developing a vehicle warning system aimed at curbing collisions caused by drivers making left turns -- a leading cause of accidents and motorcycle fatalities. The system, which can be enabled for vehicles making left or U-turns while traveling under 10mph, detects movements using the vehicle's navigation system and a single camera. Once a left turn is recognized, three lasers are used to scan for hazards up to 328-feet away -- if one is detected, the car will automatically brake and throw up corresponding alerts for the driver. The company is set to show off the system as part of INTERSAFE 2, this week in Wolfsburg, Germany. In the meantime, the rest of us will have to rely on things like mirrors and looking over our shoulders.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/16/bmw-left-turn-assistant-uses-lasers-to-help-you-avoid-running-pe/

 

[Blue STreak]

I guess I should appreciate this, but I'm not sure the continuing trend in gadgets that imply to drivers that they no longer need to pay attention, because the car will do it for them, is a good one.

"Feel free to text and watch TV while driving, because the car will keep your speed, slow down if you get t0o close to someone, warn you if you drift out of your lane or start to fall asleep, or if there's oncoming traffic when you're turning."

Somehow that just doesn't sound right.

 

[George]

Years ago, Car And Driver proposed a "safety" system to improve driver awareness of the surrounds: replace the driver's air bag with a 12 ga. shot gun shell. Any front edge collision will set it off. Problem solved.

I mentioned this afternoon this minor fact: Vast majority of drivers already know how to drive correctly, they're just to lazy to do it. Old educationa adage: "If they can do it correctly when a gun is held to their head, training is not the answer."

Corollary: if holding a gun to their head makes'em do it right then HOLD A GUN TO THEIR HEAD!!!

 

[Blrfl]

"Once a left turn is recognized..."

Several hundred dollars' worth of technology is needed to detect left turns because, at least around here, most of the BMWs suffer from some kind of defect where their turn signals don't work.

--Mark

 

[st1300r]

They got it backwards.

Face the camera at the driver, apply the brakes until the driver stops texting, uses a turn signal and looks were they are going. If hazzard is then detected when throttle is applied, throw up a corresponding cattle prod alert.