Blind Spot Monitoring in Cars

via:
http://aaafoundation.org/vehicle-owners-experiences-reactions-advanced-driver-assistance-systems/#

Only 21 [percent] of owners of vehicles with [blind spot monitoring] systems correctly identified an inability to detect vehicles passing at very high speeds as a limitation of the system; the remainder expressed various other misconceptions about its function or reported that they were unsure of the system’s limitations.

33 [percent] of owners of vehicles with [automatic emergency braking] systems did not realize that the system relied on cameras or sensors that could be blocked by dirt, ice, or snow.​

It took years for blind spot systems to get pretty damn good at recognizing my motorcycle. I see a lot of the yellow light tings on side mirrors lit up now when I pass a car but the fact that drivers don't even know they have them or to check them.

Also:

The survey data also offered evidence of potentially unsafe behaviors stemming from the inclusion of certain driving aids. Among the worst examples were the 29 percent of respondents who admitted to occasionally feeling comfortable enough to engage in non-driving activities while using adaptive cruise control. Another 30 percent claimed they relied entirely upon their blind spot monitoring system to change lanes, either occasionally or routinely failing to physically check their blind spot by turning their head.
​

Some people only rely on blind spot and not shoulder checks so if your bike isn't detected, they're coming over anyway.

No surprises here but all of this tech is wasted on people who still don't give a crap to look.

I don't know about the statistics but I was riding in my sister in law's recently purchased Subaru with all the bells and whistles. She made comment that at first she liked the warnings but after a few months they start to become an annoyance. From my seat it seemed that she has become increasingly dependent on them while becoming increasingly desensitized to them. Overall she strikes me as a more dangerous driver than she used to be. It scares me.

30 years as a cop has taught me this, As car "safety" technology improves people's driving skills have gotten worse because they rely on technology instead of their own senses and comon sense.
I resonded once to a bicycle vrs car accident. The driver of the car was at fault, she backed into the bike. She insisted it was not her fault because her backup warning and camera never alerted her to the bike. Not once did she actually look behind her. I got lots of stories like this so I just assume driver's aren't looking.

All of this further affirms the fact that proficient motorcycling necessitates us riding as if we are invisible. Simply assume they can't see us and ride accordingly.

I've had cagers look straight at me and still pull out in front of me.

My take on blind spot monitoring is that there are several factors at play for this and other tech in newer vehicles. I came across something a few months ago that indicated the most frequently turned-off tech is the lane departure alert, the theory being that people don't want the car giving them grief for not using their blinker when changing lanes. Cannot remember what was second, but my takeaway was that a significant number of people don't like the car being more of a nanny state than the nanny state

With all the alerts available now, do drivers read the owner's manual to know what each one is? If you have two cars and they alert you differently, do you remember which is which? Or does frustration lead to ignoring them? (I don't have a vehicle with lane departure alert, blind spot monitoring, cross traffic monitoring, backup alert, automatic emergency braking, or adaptive cruise control, so I cannot speak from experience on these techs.)

I believe a contributing factor is the increase in SUV use coupled with their beltlines getting higher and safety standards resulting in thicker pillars. As a result, overall visibility for many drivers is less.

And going from a car with the tech to one without - does the driver have the awareness to realize that this vehicle will not alert them to something in their blind spot when they want to change lanes. I have found myself looking at the dash of our older vehicle for a check of the backup camera as a matter of habit when putting it in reverse.

Add to this the trend of some manufacturers to do away with knobs and have more stuff done through a touch screen. Grope for the knob, find the knob, turn the knob - I can do it without taking my eyes off the road. Look at the video of the fellow in the Tesla Model 3 who was pulled over by the cop because the giant digital dash display looked like he had a computer up there with a movie on it. Have to take your eyes off the road to look at the screen to do stuff.

Like Roseanne Rosanna Danna said, if its not one thing... Its another

Anyway, just my thoughts

Ah, but they are looking; just not at the road. They rely on the technology to protect them, while they look at their smartphones.

Relying 100% on this type of technology is no different than playing Russian Roulette. Actually looking is easy, and good neck and shoulder exercise.

Hell, my 2018 Subaru Outback can't even get the outside temperature right - the readout is always about 3-4 degrees higher than the actual. THAT should have been easy!

When someone eventually kills someone else as a result of relying on this blind spot system, will that excuse - "... it didn't blink!!"- hold up in court?

It drives my wife crazy that I don't use the backup camera when I drive her car, opting for actually looking where I'm going.

My car has no proximity sensors at all.

Make it easier to ignore some functions in driving and drivers will ignore them. Even if the "driver aid" isn't very good, it may seem good enough and drivers will expect it to make them safe.

Easy to feel safe in your two tons with crush zones and airbags all around.

Most drivers don't know how to adjust their side mirrors properly. They should be swung out so the next lane is visible, not the side of the car. This eliminates most of the blind spot.

My 2018 Explorer has proximity sensors all around the vehicle. The rear camera actually shows the hitch ball, and there are lines projected showing what the path will be that change as the steering wheel is turned.

In the spirit of this thread I have something embarrassing to admit...

Yesterday I was heading home from work in my 2006 Silverado with no safety shit on it at all. On one extended access road/on ramp a cruiser got in front of me to get on the highway. There was enough room, I even slowed down a bit for safe following distance.

Then after a few miles I noticed myself doing something I should kick myself in the ass about, I was focusing on the vehicle in front of the motorcycle as my distance marker and not the back of the bike...

As a 20 year rider this shook me to the core. I have no idea why this happened, for some reason it just did. Maybe it was a lack of brake light illumination or just the overall lack of size but from it I can see why some drivers say “I never seen him...”. Never again, it really shook me up.

Makes me wonder how those new adaptive cruise systems work for smaller objects.

I find the technology to be like any other tool - used properly, and not in replacement of your brain and common sense, the technology offered can and does make driving safer and more enjoyable / comfortable. My F150 now has adaptive cruise control - I added it after driving one equipped with it. Because idiots can't maintain a constant speed and just use basic driving courtesy, you find yourself always having to make adjustments with regular cruise control. ACC allows the truck to adjust to those speed variations without having the need to physically interact with the brakes or throttle. I find it helps me be a bit more patient and relaxed when driving on the Interstate.

When I added the ACC, collision avoidance was another system that came with it. I am amazed at how quickly the truck can slow itself when it detects a collision situation - it takes a little bit of time to get used to it braking and accelerating on its own. Watching so many people driving distracted, I personally like the idea of ALL vehicles having collision avoidance technology. I was rear-ended at a red light by a young girl updating FaceBook on her phone. Collision avoidance technology would likely have prevented me from being a victim of her stupidity.

I find the blind spot monitoring system works quite well. I like it as an additional safety tool - kind of like having Rain-X and wipers together. The LEDs on the outside mirrors are not obtrusive or distracting and are more apparent in poor light or at night - when visibility is usually reduced as well. If someone is in your blind spot and you activate the turn signal to perform a lane change, the LED flashes rapidly to get your attention.

The rear proximity sensors allow for tight parking maneuvers and for cross-traffic alerting - great for when you are backing out of a blind parking spot and some idiot is flying down the aisle. The rear camera is another helpful tool, especially when backing into a tight space. It is great for hitching up a trailer too.

The Lane Keeping Assist is more of a novelty to me. I don't like the idea of it because I think it may promote distracted or tired driving. It can vibrate the steering wheel when you drift out of your lane, or you can set it to actually steer the truck back into the lane. With a person who is irresponsible, they may use it to drive when they should be resting or when they are distracted. I rarely turn it on in my truck.

The truck being able to parallel or perpendicular park itself makes it easier for the wife to drive it. It is a 4x4 SuperCrew so she is a bit intimidated by its size. She drives it infrequently so she isn't really comfortable trying to park in tight spaces or on the street. The parking system works quite well and makes parallel parking a one-shot maneuver most of the time.

In short, I like the idea of technology assisting the driver but it is no replacement for the driver using good judgement, paying attention, driving defensively and safely, etc.

THIS.THIS.THIS DAMNIT......
.....POUND THIS IN YOUR HEAD TO STAY ALIVE!
M->

I just got a new car that does NOT have BSM after having it in my last two cars, and I can tell you, I miss it like the rain.

The way I use BSM is simple: BSM doesn't tell me when it's safe to change lanes, it tells me when it's NOT SAFE to change lanes. Just seeing that light there improves my situational awareness, alerting me to somebody near me; I won't even waste the energy to headcheck until the light is gone. And, in an emergency situation where I would need to swerve quickly, I'd rather take my chances with a BSM light then a headcheck when at that moment I most need my eyes right to my front.

Honestly, I wish I had BSM on my bike, again just to give me some improved situational awareness of what's going on around me. It's a tool, not a solution by itself.

You're using it correctly. I honestly can't say that the vast majority of drivers do.

For years, I drove panel vans that made it impossible to do head checks. I learned how to adjust the side mirrors out properly to compensate for that. Ask any trucker if you don't understand how it's done.

It's a lot easier on a bike to have situational awareness because there's nothing to impede your vision. The mirror trick also works the same. Stay out of blind spots. If you can't see a driver's face in his side mirror, he can't see you.

I have a new car that has all of the sensor goodies. They're convenient, but I don't use them as a crutch. I can do just fine without them if necessary.

IMHO opinion if you have the 2 side mirrors and rear view mirror adjusted properly there virtually no blind spots. I've been trying for years to convince my wife that if you can see any of your car in the side view mirror or any of your face in the rear view mirror you have unnecessarily created blind spots. Hasn't helped and I gave up trying even after a live demonstration. I hate the BSM in my car because it constantly goes off if I'm anywhere near a metal guardrail. Wish they was a way to disable it.

Best of all these wonderful nanny aids cost a small fortune to fix when your car gets wrecked. Once these cars depreciate a few years we'll be totaling them left and right for what would have been moderately insignificant damage.

What kind of vehicle ?

Mazda CX5