So, today's cars cause accidents?

pwd72s · 10-30-2010, 10:55 AM

An article by a guy who posts on the Bullitt Mustang board. Also, anybody recognize the dash? Maybe BMW?

Anyway, I'm in agreement with the article. The only unit in my dash is the excellent Ford "Shaker 500" stereo. I just plug in the ipod set to shuffle play before I leave my driveway. When driving, I pay attention only to the basic gauges. The cell phone is in Cindy's purse when she's with me...she does any phoning. If I'm alone? Cell phone is off if the car is moving.

Schumi · 10-30-2010, 11:02 AM

Thus furthering my point that everyone on the planet should drive a Lotus Elise.

pwd72s · 10-30-2010, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schumi

Thus furthering my point that everyone on the planet should drive a Lotus Elise.

Not if everybody on the planet was 6'3" with a 34" inseam..

Eric Coffey · 10-30-2010, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwd72s

An article by a guy who posts on the Bullitt Mustang board. Also, anybody recognize the dash? Maybe BMW?]

Yes, BMW.

All those distracting lights/controls/displays. Almost like an airplane. How do pilots do it without crashing?

I'd say DWT (driving while texting) is the bigger/growing problem now.

Schumi · 10-30-2010, 11:21 AM

There is no difference in looking down to text versus looking down to mess with complex car entertainment system controls. The fact of the matter is you are still looking down.

Side note: There is a forum specifically for Bullitt Mustangs? Really now? That's like having a forum for 2004 Carrera 4S's.

island911 · 10-30-2010, 11:22 AM

Clouds are soft? . . .radar? . . control towers?

Actually, MBz has had radar car-follow for a while now.

scottmandue · 10-30-2010, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schumi

Thus furthering my point that everyone on the planet should drive a Lotus Elise.

PM'ed you my address, when can I expect delivery?

oldE · 10-30-2010, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schumi

There is no difference in looking down to text versus looking down to mess with complex car entertainment system controls. The fact of the matter is you are still looking down.

Shumi,

Actually, there is a big difference. with fixed button or dial positions in an old-style dash, you are using a lot of kinestetic sense to operate controls. In the same way, you don't have to look to see where the gas and brake pedals are each time you use them. Your body 'remembers'.
When multiple screens are appearing in one small piece of real estate on your dashboard, you have to look to see what you are doing and what virtual button you are pressing.

A retrograde development.
Les

pwd72s · 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schumi

Side note: There is a forum specifically for Bullitt Mustangs? Really now? That's like having a forum for 2004 Carrera 4S's.

Sure is...sorry if this disturbs you. The Bullitt forum is generally an older crowd than most Mustang forums.

Wanna take a ride in a Bullitt? One guy who posts made a video of he driving the backroads of San Diego...like up here, traffic often prevents getting frisky, but the video gives an idea what driving one is like. Bret also has a 928, his sis drives a BMW roadster. Man, is she a hottie!

YouTube - Bret & his Bullitt out for a drive

Back to topic...do cars made today have too many dashboard distractions? I vote yes!

Eric Coffey · 10-30-2010, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schumi

There is no difference in looking down to text versus looking down to mess with complex car entertainment system controls. The fact of the matter is you are still looking down.

Yeah, what Les said.

I'd say there is a substantial difference as well. In addition to the physical and mental "muscle memory" of fixed systems/controls:

1. You are not "looking down" while viewing the (fixed) nav screen in the above car. It (should be) more like scanning instruments in an AC.
2. Most modern cars have the controls on the steering wheel (or command wheel) and/or do not allow you to input text/directions unless stopped. Most also have voice commands so the necessity for looking at the display is reduced.
3. The nav screens on cars are usually much bigger than your phone. No squinting at a tiny phone screen.
4. With nav, you aren't engaged in a "virtual" conversation, or "thinking of what next to say" taking your attention off of driving. Nav is directly related to the task at hand (getting from A to B).
5. Texting is typically a two-handed affair. So, you have both hands occupied (steering with your knees/forearms) and your head/eyes buried in the aforementioned tiny screen. Texting one-handed is probably just as bad or worse as it takes even more concentration/time.

YMAICMV (Your Mileage And Insurance Claims May Vary).

Eric Coffey · 10-30-2010, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by island911

Clouds are soft? . . .radar? . . control towers?

hey hav 2 txt u bak n a bit. finally got cleard 4 29L. stupid 757 takin 4-evar! BRB.

Racerbvd · Racerbvd's Garage

Well, I'm old school, I like the classic layout of the 911 dash and my volume control is under my right foot..

Schumi · 10-30-2010, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldE

Shumi,

Actually, there is a big difference. with fixed button or dial positions in an old-style dash, you are using a lot of kinestetic sense to operate controls. In the same way, you don't have to look to see where the gas and brake pedals are each time you use them. Your body 'remembers'.
When multiple screens are appearing in one small piece of real estate on your dashboard, you have to look to see what you are doing and what virtual button you are pressing.

A retrograde development.
Les

Les, this may be the case for HVAC and radio controls, but have you seen some of these modern car computers? The new BMW's for example, the screen links with your iPhone. So I was driving one with this girl's iPhone hooked to it and I tried looking through her music to pick a song I liked. You are using this knob in the center console to scroll through screen after screen, and then use it to type letters with a keyboard (which is friggin impossible). I was parked at the time, and I am sure some of those features only work if the car is in park (I hope so at least) but I know that some things, like the music file scrolling, work while driving. There is no muscle memory or tactile sensing while doing this. You have to look at the screen.

It all matters with getting used to the car too. This girl knew her way around the BMW computer interface very quickly, but she had had the car for a year. I was new to it, and it was very very distracting to use while driving. And with new cars coming with so many new features, it gets hard and hard to quickly become associated with all their controls.

The Ford voice command system is very nice and actually does work as advertised. A coworker helped design it. You say "Play Motley Crue" and it just goes to the Motley Crue folder and your ipod and starts playing. No looking for any buttons or menus.

Gogar · 10-30-2010, 04:13 PM

It's rarely the car's fault. That would be like blaming Candy for all the fat people out there.

Zeke · 10-30-2010, 04:56 PM

Byron, that guy was an idiot. You think he'd ever driven a stick before?

All this stuff about a car's dash.... forever people been runnin' up the ass of someone in front while they had their head below the dash trying to pick up a cassette off the floor, then later, a CD. Those cars weren't too complicated.

Neither were those drivers.... still aren't.

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldE

Shumi,

Actually, there is a big difference. with fixed button or dial positions in an old-style dash, you are using a lot of kinestetic sense to operate controls. In the same way, you don't have to look to see where the gas and brake pedals are each time you use them. Your body 'remembers'.
When multiple screens are appearing in one small piece of real estate on your dashboard, you have to look to see what you are doing and what virtual button you are pressing.

A retrograde development.
Les

+1 What he said ...

I can operate every control on my 03 Tundra by feel without taking my eyes of the road. That's good design.
You can't even adjust the heater on my fancy azz BMW without looking at the dash. There is a message that pops up when you start the car, something like "Don't use this system unless traffic conditions allow you to do so safely." Under what traffic condition is it safe to stop looking where you're going and stare at the dashboard? 2008 BMW 535 - worst interior design of any car I've ever driven.

imcarthur · imcarthur's Garage

I must admit to gadget distraction on occasion. I probably drive 30+ rental cars a year & even the basic controls can be a challenge when I'm on the move. I take my own GPS, so at least it's a constant. Currently, an Antiguan rasta shouts directions to me. Of course it's always in the wrong state, or I left it in kilometres . . . yeah, guilty. The damn thing beeped erratically for a 5 hour drive day (a couple of weeks ago) until I figured out that that I had inadvertently turned it on to beep when there was a church nearby . . . there are a lot of churches in Florida. But I usually leave the radio off. Can't hear it anyway, in all of the POS Mustang 'verts I rent in the South.

Ian

looneybin · 10-30-2010, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schumi

Thus furthering my point that everyone on the planet should drive a well setup 944.

fixed it for you

Schumi · 10-30-2010, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imcarthur

Currently, an Antiguan rasta shouts directions to me.

Get out of here..

what GPS is this?

imcarthur · imcarthur's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schumi

Get out of here..

what GPS is this?

TomTom. The voice is a free download: Antigua V1.4, English UK. My travel mates in a Nashville jaunt dubbed him a pirate voice since he doesn't say: Mon. They are encouraging me to get the Darth Vader voice . . . there is a YouTube video about that one.

Ian