Technology has indeed come a long way its impressive what the human has created at every level every field there is technology advancement! For us truckers life on the driving seat has become more comfortable and easier. However the computer and technology can never overtake the human mind, its the human mind after all behind this creation of technology and computers. Unfortunately common sense seems to have decreased as technology has increased, we rely too much on technology. What will we do when it breaks down?
Driver aids in all vehicles has now become too much in my view, power steering is brilliant wonderful advancement, anti-lock breaking/traction control great, cruise control absolutely wonderful…yes? err Lane departure I agree with especially night drivers!
Auto brake? adaptive cruise control? my view…I don’t like em turn them off where ever I can. As a Driver you should be in charge of making the decisions, making the choices, making the right moves on road to be safe to be without creating a hazard of yourself and the vehicle you drive! Computers cannot think for them self they are only programmed to think from a human minds vision based on tested experiences.
I was driving artic the other day a Daf CF 16 plate for Royal Mail going up a climb on M1 northbound, another artic in the distance starts to slow down in front of me obviously pulling more weight, so the adaptive cruise control kicks in slowing me down to keep safe distance yeah, well I took over! switched of cruise foot down overtook it no one in front of him for some distance safely back in lane 1. Now adaptive cruise control would have happily kept me behind him unnecessarily for some time, lorries behind me would have started to overtake as I become the slower vehicle also!
Auto brake is horrible and can put you in trouble as its quite sharp when it kicks in, yes I understand the whole idea behind it but sorry a driver should be alert of whats going on in front! if you getting tired take a break. Auto brake on a few occasions with me when it kicked in made incorrect judgements based on its set up. I know how close I’m getting to something, having assessed whats in front and at what distance in relation to speed. Sometimes it just kicks in if you get too close to a kerb while making wider turns on say a sweeping bend A road as experienced in 18t rigid Daf again Royal Mail vehicle. Sorry but where the old Daf XF’s gone? great drive they were apart from slow auto gearbox.
Singh5:
Technology has indeed come a long way its impressive what the human has created at every level every field there is technology advancement! For us truckers life on the driving seat has become more comfortable and easier. However the computer and technology can never overtake the human mind, its the human mind after all behind this creation of technology and computers. Unfortunately common sense seems to have decreased as technology has increased, we rely too much on technology. What will we do when it breaks down?
Driver aids in all vehicles has now become too much in my view, power steering is brilliant wonderful advancement, anti-lock breaking/traction control great, cruise control absolutely wonderful…yes? err Lane departure I agree with especially night drivers!
Auto brake? adaptive cruise control? my view…I don’t like em turn them off where ever I can. As a Driver you should be in charge of making the decisions, making the choices, making the right moves on road to be safe to be without creating a hazard of yourself and the vehicle you drive! Computers cannot think for them self they are only programmed to think from a human minds vision based on tested experiences.
I was driving artic the other day a Daf CF 16 plate for Royal Mail going up a climb on M1 northbound, another artic in the distance starts to slow down in front of me obviously pulling more weight, so the adaptive cruise control kicks in slowing me down to keep safe distance yeah, well I took over! switched of cruise foot down overtook it no one in front of him for some distance safely back in lane 1. Now adaptive cruise control would have happily kept me behind him unnecessarily for some time, lorries behind me would have started to overtake as I become the slower vehicle also!
Auto brake is horrible and can put you in trouble as its quite sharp when it kicks in, yes I understand the whole idea behind it but sorry a driver should be alert of whats going on in front! if you getting tired take a break. Auto brake on a few occasions with me when it kicked in made incorrect judgements based on its set up. I know how close I’m getting to something, having assessed whats in front and at what distance in relation to speed. Sometimes it just kicks in if you get too close to a kerb while making wider turns on say a sweeping bend A road as experienced in 18t rigid Daf again Royal Mail vehicle. Sorry but where the old Daf XF’s gone? great drive they were apart from slow auto gearbox.
qwakers:
which is fine, until you have a crash, then, whether they would have helped or not, the law will nail your ■■■ to the wall. and THAT is the problem i have, they can be dagerous to have on in some situations, but if you turn them off and have a accident, youre screwed.
thatswhy even shown on dash as off on Actros…system is still on…can not be deactivated in reality
Reef:
Should probably ask drivers from Scandinavian countries whether the system works (or is deactivated) in icy conditions, seeing as 1) they have real snow and ice driving conditions not the stuff we have here that gets everyone in a blind panic, and 2) the fact that two of the main leading truck marques originate in those places.
As for turning it off I’m with Juddian on this one, leave it on, if the system causes you to have an incident then it’s not you at fault but the tech and thus the manufacturer will come under scrutiny, if you turn it off and is deemed that the system “may” have prevented the accident then you’re boned and at fault.
Honestly guys you do not know or understand how the system works you’re not that clever, (nor am I btw) I highly doubt we “know better” than the team of experts who created and extensively tested the system.
Dont know about others…but ‘ingeniers’ in MB did not spend much time developing theirs braking asist…RUBISH is it
Sorry, didn’t realise we had a genius in our midst
Ta.
Quite possibly we do, but he or she isn’t you or I. My assertions come from going to college for three years and conversations with friends of ours. One is a consultant neurologist and the other a clinical psychologist who has a passing interest in the mental health of professional drivers.
Reef:
Should probably ask drivers from Scandinavian countries whether the system works (or is deactivated) in icy conditions, seeing as 1) they have real snow and ice driving conditions not the stuff we have here that gets everyone in a blind panic, and 2) the fact that two of the main leading truck marques originate in those places.
As for turning it off I’m with Juddian on this one, leave it on, if the system causes you to have an incident then it’s not you at fault but the tech and thus the manufacturer will come under scrutiny, if you turn it off and is deemed that the system “may” have prevented the accident then you’re boned and at fault.
Honestly guys you do not know or understand how the system works you’re not that clever, (nor am I btw) I highly doubt we “know better” than the team of experts who created and extensively tested the system.
In principle I kind of agree with you. But I find it a little odd that were in a situation where the human is in control but the computer takes over when it needs to yet the apparent ideal is where the computer does the driving and the human takes over when it needs to.
caledoniandream:
What would make you think that the system brakes harder than you in a panic stop on a slippery road?
ABS / EBS are still normal working either way, controlling the brake pressure, and preventing wheels from locking up.
The only one that overrides everything is your secondary brake (most drivers never used it or don’t know where it is) this is on modern vehicles the handbrake lever up to the point where you have to lift it slightly to put the handbrake on (on electric handbrakes there is a point with slightly more resistance on the lever)
So even if your AED or whatever they call it kicks in your still come controlled to a stop, that doesn’t mean That it is still very annoying if it activates for a wrong reason, but your in safe hands.
By the way; ever tried to brake so hard from a decent speed that the ABS kicks in? You will be surprised how much grip there is and how much you are hanging in the seatbelt before that is happen, on ice is it of course a different story.
The only time Ive ever had to really slam the anchors on when someone tried to do a u turn in front of me without warning . I was fully loaded and hit the brakes so hard the emergency hazard lights flashed automatically. I was surprised at how quickly my truck came to a stop and also how much control I had over it, I managed to steer the truck round the car. No squealing of tyres, no shuddering and shaking, just very brown trousers and a very lost load.
malcolmgbell:
Y have they got a switch to turn it off if you cant use it,
Ah catch 22.
If they didn’t have a switch, and the vehicle locks on full braking causing a crash with no off switch, how are they going to blame the driver? and they will because every driver’s manual has weasel get out words in the instructions about AEBS use, have a butchers.
If you have a prang and the thing is switched off, then it’s a cut and dried case of gross misconduct at your disciplinary, leave the thing on and if the vehicle has caused the prang the driver can muddy the waters enough.
I aint bothered about the legal aspects personally, because we all know this is why in all possible fully autonomous lorry scenarios for the next 100 years and more a trained person is going to be ‘on duty’ in the lorry, because some poor sod has to take the rap and its always been the driver and always will be, i’m more concerned about having a valid defence of my job, switch it off you’re history.
jakethesnake:
I only put cruise on when there’s a safe gap between me and the traffic in front
Going by that then when you don’t have cruise on there is no safe gap!
Try and keep a safe gap in rush-hour traffic, say approaching the dartford crossing… I slow down, - someone pulls into the “idiot space” and the safe gap I’ve tried to draw out - is taken away.
I’ll use the cruise for as much as I can - but ultimately in that environment - I’m covering my brake at very least, as a necessity.
P Stoff:
Had my first experience of the smart braking system in a Daf XF when running cruise control. Firstly it scared the bejeepers out of me and secondly a fellow chump cut in in front of me too close and activated it. Question is does this have a temp sensor, as I can see all sorts of pain in icy conditions.
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Pstoff that is a good question reference icy conditions which I will bring u when I am on a course …though with it being linked in to EBS /ABS etc then it should be ok …■■■■ what should be ok on paper and what is ok in real life are 2 different things …at the end of the day you are responsible and can in the majority of the time pre-emt the idiot who you know will cut in as you can always tell the idiots
jakethesnake:
I only put cruise on when there’s a safe gap between me and the traffic in front
Going by that then when you don’t have cruise on there is no safe gap!
Try and keep a safe gap in rush-hour traffic, say approaching the dartford crossing… I slow down, - someone pulls into the “idiot space” and the safe gap I’ve tried to draw out - is taken away.
I’ll use the cruise for as much as I can - but ultimately in that environment - I’m covering my brake at very least, as a necessity.
And funnily enough that’s where it happened to me.
You only have to look at all the skiddies on the road to see that “running cruise there - is a bad idea”.
Here’s my top three “Black Spot” places:
(1) J1-J2 M25 Clockwise, and J30-31 Clockwise, as well. Morning Traffic.
You often have a slow vehicle (<40mph) sitting in lane 2 or even lane 3, with fast-moving vehicles joining the J1 on-slip, and then pulling across three lanes between back-to-back artics in Lane 2. (I’m also in Lane 2 to let the J1 ontraffic join the motorway…) It is the people that undertake in Lane 1, or cut from Lane 3 to the J2 off-slip for the A2 - that bug me.
(2) J5-J4b M4 Eastbound, Off-slip for the M25 during the afternoon in particular. Skid marks in Lane 1 almost making the road surface a different colour. Prangs galore with people on hard shoulder already on their phones to their insurers… Coaches going over negotiation the slip roads.
(3) M23 Southbound J9 Lane drop for Gatwick Airport - People not realizing that it is now a lane-drop, rather than an “off-slip” as such. Suddenly there is a queue of cars trailing back a mile before the junction on what looks like a live lane 1, if you have not been down that road for a while. You need to be in Lane 2 over a mile before the junction AND beware of idiots who want to pull out of the now-stationary lane drop into “Normal speed” lane 2 - with you right up their arse, if you’re not careful!
Skid marks abound, and this particular bugbear - is practically 24/7, as there is hoohar there even at around 4am!
Compare that to the M23’s northbound junction with the M25 - and I’d say that moves pretty well these days.
Remember this old chesnut? A pioneering TV programme with footage from 27 years ago - the year I first got my licence.
The section about 13-14 minutes in - has some footage that includes the M25 and the Merstham junction with the M23 in particular…
Reef: Should probably ask drivers from Scandinavian countries whether the system works (or is deactivated) in icy conditions, seeing as 1) they have real snow and ice driving conditions not the stuff we have here that gets everyone in a blind panic, and 2) the fact that two of the main leading truck marques originate in those places.
As for turning it off I’m with Juddian on this one, leave it on, if the system causes you to have an incident then it’s not you at fault but the tech and thus the manufacturer will come under scrutiny, if you turn it off and is deemed that the system “may” have prevented the accident then you’re boned and at fault.
Honestly guys you do not know or understand how the system works you’re not that clever, (nor am I btw) I highly doubt we “know better” than the team of experts who created and extensively tested the system.
Don’t have to mate. In the snows earlier this year was driving Scanias for Morrisons. The snow clogged up the anti-collision sensor so no! It did tell me it wasn’t working but I weren’t gonna step every 10 mins going to Hawick to clear it so sod it.
