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Question of the Day: What's the most interesting small town you've visited in South Africa?
Wheeling in the future
- Thread starter rpm
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bekdik
Honorary Master
I hope this will become a compulsory installation for taxis!
AirWolf
Honorary Master
So what about flying cars ? 
What is all this extra complexity going to cost and do we really need it?
Most of the features are just for luxury.
People can use the safety argument but at the end of the day a car is only as safe as the nut behind the steering wheel.
I'm busy rebuilding a 1974 Beetle for a daily driver because modern cars are simply too complex and expensive to maintain and I don't have a big ego that needs to keep being fed.
Most of the features are just for luxury.
People can use the safety argument but at the end of the day a car is only as safe as the nut behind the steering wheel.
I'm busy rebuilding a 1974 Beetle for a daily driver because modern cars are simply too complex and expensive to maintain and I don't have a big ego that needs to keep being fed.
HavocXphere
Honorary Master
Paul_S said:
Luxury? Current systems like ABS, ESC/DSC save many lives. The next generation will too.
It also encourages people to drive fast and dangerously with the false presumption that if something goes wrong the car will handle it.
Most of the accidents I see tend to involve cars with advanced safety features but maybe that's just a coincidence.
Twenty years ago most people used to drive with a relaxed and considerate attitude. Now everyone is trying to race each other between home and work. I used to enjoy driving but now I hate driving on SA roads.
HavocXphere
Honorary Master
Perhaps...I still think an idiot with safety features is better than an idiot without them.
AirWolf
Honorary Master
Either way they end up killing innocent people.
redarrow
Expert Member
I would love to hear how the explanation on how this is to work?article said:
A radio controlled helicopter which flies above the car perhaps?
Maverick_Nick
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The Beetle Driver
It's funny how the beetle driver has to defend his lack of advanced safety features.
I used to drive an 1995 model car with pretty much no safety features beyond the safety belt, and even though I'm a cautious driver, I had a few close calls. Often it is the case when you have to react quickly to a situation. Wheels would lock up and the car tended to veer under heavy braking. The power steering was very light, which was perfect for parking, but once on the freeway it was too light and the slightest slip could cause a bad reaction.
Today I'm driving a 2007 model which is Euro NCAP 5 star rated. Firstly my steering has variable power assist which tightens up nicely as I increase speed giving me better control. With EBD my car doesn't veer under heavy braking. I've never had to use my ABS, but at least I can rest assured that if a situation arises I'm not going to be sliding through a set of red traffic lights or worse into a jay walking padestrian. Plus features like safety belt warning forces the driver and passenger to put on their safety belt.
You talk about drivers a few years ago whom never drove as badly as drivers of today. I can't agree with that, because I know that there were bad drivers, but it's just that there are a whole lot more cars on the roads today, and therefore a greater chance of coming across one of those bad drivers. It's often the case when an unsuspecting driver gets rammed by some idiot. Having features such as airbags can prevent serious injury or even death.
It's funny how the beetle driver has to defend his lack of advanced safety features.
I used to drive an 1995 model car with pretty much no safety features beyond the safety belt, and even though I'm a cautious driver, I had a few close calls. Often it is the case when you have to react quickly to a situation. Wheels would lock up and the car tended to veer under heavy braking. The power steering was very light, which was perfect for parking, but once on the freeway it was too light and the slightest slip could cause a bad reaction.
Today I'm driving a 2007 model which is Euro NCAP 5 star rated. Firstly my steering has variable power assist which tightens up nicely as I increase speed giving me better control. With EBD my car doesn't veer under heavy braking. I've never had to use my ABS, but at least I can rest assured that if a situation arises I'm not going to be sliding through a set of red traffic lights or worse into a jay walking padestrian. Plus features like safety belt warning forces the driver and passenger to put on their safety belt.
You talk about drivers a few years ago whom never drove as badly as drivers of today. I can't agree with that, because I know that there were bad drivers, but it's just that there are a whole lot more cars on the roads today, and therefore a greater chance of coming across one of those bad drivers. It's often the case when an unsuspecting driver gets rammed by some idiot. Having features such as airbags can prevent serious injury or even death.
Maverick_Nick
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The Beetle Driver
BTW. Modern cars are a lot cheaper to maintain than older cars. Well there's pretty much no maintenance beyond a service (15000km on my car), and checking oil and water once in a blue moon. I always know that I'm going to reach my destination without any mechanical failures. Why do you have to worry about the complexity of a new car? As long as you don't buy a BMW you'll most likely never have to pop the hood. You can buy a cheap Toyota Yaris that comes with a Euro NCAP 5 star safety rating, so I doubt that it has anything to do with ego.
The thing that most people don't realize is that accidents aren't caused by speeding. It's caused by the lack of cencentration and drivers not being aware of their surroundings at all times. I've seen far too many slow drivers cause accidents or almost accidents by moving from one lane to another, unaware of the car next to or approaching. Blind spot and lane deviation warning systems would really be good for those sort of drivers. Our cops need to stop policing speed and start policing bad driving - simple as that!
BTW. Modern cars are a lot cheaper to maintain than older cars. Well there's pretty much no maintenance beyond a service (15000km on my car), and checking oil and water once in a blue moon. I always know that I'm going to reach my destination without any mechanical failures. Why do you have to worry about the complexity of a new car? As long as you don't buy a BMW you'll most likely never have to pop the hood. You can buy a cheap Toyota Yaris that comes with a Euro NCAP 5 star safety rating, so I doubt that it has anything to do with ego.
The thing that most people don't realize is that accidents aren't caused by speeding. It's caused by the lack of cencentration and drivers not being aware of their surroundings at all times. I've seen far too many slow drivers cause accidents or almost accidents by moving from one lane to another, unaware of the car next to or approaching. Blind spot and lane deviation warning systems would really be good for those sort of drivers. Our cops need to stop policing speed and start policing bad driving - simple as that!
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Maverick_Nick
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I would love to hear how the explanation on how this is to work?
A radio controlled helicopter which flies above the car perhaps?
I think the system would use multiple cameras around the car to detect surrounding objects, and then simulate a top view (virtual) of your vehicle and surrounding objects. Not actually having a camera above the car looking down!
I drove a VW Beetle for over 10 years and the maintenance came to about R200 per month all inclusive (including tyres) and that was for ~4000km of driving per month.
Over that 10 year period it cost me less than R25K in maintenance.
That's 480000km of driving and total vehicle ownership cost of about R35K.
How would that compare to a modern car?
Anything new isn't cheap but I guess it all depends on how much one earns.
I can afford to buy a new car in the R150-200K bracket but I'd rather buy something old for R20K and pocket the R130-180K for other uses.
Can't agree with you more. I've had some close scrapes - mostly from people not checking their blind spots and only my concentration and quick reflexes saved me.
Example : I almost hit a white man trying to commit suicide on the Lynnwood road one night. Pitch dark in an 80 zone with traffic lights blinding me from the opposite direction and the guy was on his hands and knees in the middle of the lane about 30 meters ahead. No time to stop so I flicked the car into the dirt around him. A lot of people (if not most) would have tried to brake and ended up hitting him.
I almost wish people were checked every 5 years for reaction times and responses to emergency situations and if they can't pass their license gets revoked. Pilots have to go for regular proficiency tests so why not motorists?