Keeping it simple
Not all automotive technologies are created equal...
BEFORE the word “dinosaur” forms on your lips and your eyes roll to the heavens, let me say that there is plenty of automotive tech that I appreciate. Technology innovates, improves comfort and often becomes cheaper to produce and smaller in size. Just look at the first air-conditioners fitted to cars in the 1960s. These units were so big that they took up half the legroom on the front bench. They also sucked so much power that turning the air-con on would significantly dim the headlamps. You couldn’t even think about using the choke. These were tough times indeed ... you even had to use elbow grease to open a window.
These days, I’m loath to do without the comfort of air-conditioning and, with the improved quality and cost of electrics, opening windows via a push button is the accepted norm. To add to this list, I find cruise control – especially the fancy adaptive kind – both useful and safe, as do ABS, airbags and reversing cameras.
However, here is some modern technology that I can quite happily do without.
Clear indicator lenses with orange
globes. In the old days, globes were clear and lenses were red, orange or white. You could clearly see when the brake or indicator of the vehicle in front of you was illuminated. Modern trends have moved to clear lenses that incorporate multi-faceted reflective elements that are lit up using orange or red tinted globes.
These are fine at night or when the light is dim, but in bright, sunny conditions, there are two problems: sunshine bouncing back from the chrome reflectors makes it appear as if the light is on when it isn’t; and there are times when the lights are on, but reflected sunlight makes it impossible to see the lit globe. This is especially dangerous when it is an indicator lens; someone signalling a turn can go unnoticed by other motorists, possibly leading to a serious accident. Personally, I think this safety hazard should be banned.
Electrically operated handbrakes.
How can this possibly be as foolproof as a pair of mechanical cables attached to a lever? Has anyone tested one of these electrical contraptions in an emergency? If your brakes fail at 100 km/h, pulling up a mechanical hand brake allows you to modulate the application of your remaining braking system. But, what happens when you flick the switch? Will it even operate? Or will it lock up the wheels completely? I am too scared to try.
Automatically dipping rear-view
mirrors. These never dim enough of the glare. There is nothing better than manually moving the mirror for effective glare reduction. I also prefer to make the decision myself on when to activate. Electrically assisted steering. These systems simply can’t emulate the feel of hydraulic steering. Please, just go back to something that works
Rain-sensing windscreen wipers.
These are usually quite good at sensing raindrops on the windscreen and they even speed up the wiper action when you really have a downpour. However, they are also quite apt at confusing grains of sand for raindrops. It’s not exactly what you want in a sand storm: windscreen wipers scratching your poor suffering windscreen.
Electrically operated seats. It’s nice to press a button to adjust your seat, but it’s really not difficult to use your hand, is it? There are drawbacks, too. The motors and worm drives are complex and prone to damage from things like beach sand. Plus, if something goes wrong, you may not be able to move the seat at all. In some cars, you can’t even lower the seat by much because the motors and drive gear take up too much space.
Leather seats. This one is more a matter of individual taste and I acknowledge that it’s easier to clean leather after transporting children and pets. Cloth, though, is more comfortable, slightly softer on your posterior, doesn’t get boiling hot in summer or freezing in winter and, with fabric protection sprays, are easy to keep clean. It’s also cheaper than leather.
Volume control by button. You tend to adjust the volume regularly; an easy task with a knob you can simply twist. No need to look away from the road, either. For aesthetic reasons, some manufacturers switch to a flat panel with up-and-down buttons. These are a pain to locate without looking and take longer to operate. Ban them, I say. The same goes for temperature and fan-speed operations.