The perils of safety
As a new driver of an MG 4 EV, I feel that the point of relevant useful safety systems versus the requirement of a high Euro NCAP safety rating is being missed. My new car has several pointless safety systems, and it seems that most new cars are the same.
Almost every owner of a 4 on the online forums turns off the lane keeping assistance as soon as they get in their car. In certain situations, it can be frightening or even dangerous, as it tugs the steering wheel in your hands.
Then there’s the automatic emergency braking. This has the tendency to apply the brakes as hard as possible, sometimes for no apparent reason – when you’re turning or if it decides you’re too close to a parked car, for example. I’d imagine this has caused accidents.
The adaptive cruise control is the worst ever. It decides how fast I can take a corner, slowing the car, when I’m perfectly capable of knowing if I can negotiate it safely (the 4 actually handles really well).
The automatic headlights aren’t great unless you drive on straight, flat roads. I give up after being flashed by people driving towards me.
Of course, all this is controlled mostly through the touchscreen, which is well documented as being more dangerous than buttons.
Why can’t I have blindspot monitoring and a dashcam as standard equipment (I can’t believe this hasn’t yet happened on any car) and a spare wheel for when I get a puncture? These would be much more useful than all of the above. And just let me drive, please!
Via email