Enabling unrestricted "Lane assist"
03-05-2014, 07:18 AM
#21
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Good point--it's a tool to help the driver stay in lane, not a substitute for driver-steering. I just recently drove for over 1,500 miles on I-40 heading to Memphis, about 10hours/day for a couple of days. It's difficult to maintain attention for hours on end to stay in lane and once in a while I would drift near the line, and a little nudge by the lane assist helped keep me in my lane. Nice Feature for sure. BTW, Adaptive Cruise control also was a fantastic aid, as are the little lights on my side-view mirrors that warn me if someone is in my blind spot. These aids help me stay safe and help me be more attentive.
I would also like to add that my car has the collision avoidance system. Yet despite this and the S6's massive brakes, my wife still ended up rear ending someone. I would have not thought it possible because I've had the braking guard kick on even when there was no accident and pegging the brakes makes you feel your spine will come out the front. Yet it still shows the technology is far from perfect and why you can't rely on it 100%.
Luckily in my wife's case it was a minor fender bender but I wouldn't want to test it at Highway speeds.
03-05-2014, 08:08 AM
#22
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It is amazing how nice those aids are on trips. And they do so much, controlling your speed in relation to other vehicles, telling you there are cars you can't see and even steering the car Sometimes, that it is easy to think what if I took it one step further but it just isn't there.
I would also like to add that my car has the collision avoidance system. Yet despite this and the S6's massive brakes, my wife still ended up rear ending someone. I would have not thought it possible because I've had the braking guard kick on even when there was no accident and pegging the brakes makes you feel your spine will come out the front. Yet it still shows the technology is far from perfect and why you can't rely on it 100%.
Luckily in my wife's case it was a minor fender bender but I wouldn't want to test it at Highway speeds.
I would also like to add that my car has the collision avoidance system. Yet despite this and the S6's massive brakes, my wife still ended up rear ending someone. I would have not thought it possible because I've had the braking guard kick on even when there was no accident and pegging the brakes makes you feel your spine will come out the front. Yet it still shows the technology is far from perfect and why you can't rely on it 100%.
Luckily in my wife's case it was a minor fender bender but I wouldn't want to test it at Highway speeds.
With today's technology, it comes down to compromises in design intent. Perhaps someday in the Jetson's future, everyone will have automatic vehicles that travel on embedded sensors allowing the driver to safely watch videos, eat lunch, browse the internet, participate in a card game or apply makeup with no concerns of an accident (things many drivers do now, but not safely). I'm pretty sure I'll be long dead when that comes to pass, though.
03-05-2014, 08:44 AM
#23
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Gator, as the manual points out, a collision avoidance system can't overcome physics. There are so many variables and situations that, in the end, no system today can completely ensure avoidance of a collision. Additionally, I imagine the Brake Guard design requires some compromise between a more intrusive, earlier response time vs. the comfort of and control by the driver while still being useful. For example, they could have designed the Brake Guard to force the car to maintain a farther distance and/or start braking sooner or respond to all stopped objects in the vehicle's path but it would probably be more annoying to the driver and occupants in daily driving. Even if designed that way, it still couldn't help to avoid someone suddenly pulling out in front of the car or a driver's excessive speed in many situations due to those pesky physics
With today's technology, it comes down to compromises in design intent. Perhaps someday in the Jetson's future, everyone will have automatic vehicles that travel on embedded sensors allowing the driver to safely watch videos, eat lunch, browse the internet, participate in a card game or apply makeup with no concerns of an accident (things many drivers do now, but not safely). I'm pretty sure I'll be long dead when that comes to pass, though.
With today's technology, it comes down to compromises in design intent. Perhaps someday in the Jetson's future, everyone will have automatic vehicles that travel on embedded sensors allowing the driver to safely watch videos, eat lunch, browse the internet, participate in a card game or apply makeup with no concerns of an accident (things many drivers do now, but not safely). I'm pretty sure I'll be long dead when that comes to pass, though.
I made myself very familiar with the brake guard. It actually gives the driver a good deal of control over the notifications and settings. It has an early warning that you can turn off. You can also set it to comfort or dynamic where comfort will engage sooner than dynamic. I had it on comfort but turned off the early warning since it went off way too often in my opinion and didn't really add much. I was satisfied with the options given to tailor it to a driver. It might have technically 'failed' in this case because an accident still occurred but you never know if it helped to reduce the severity of the accident too. I don't blame Audi or the technology because it is what it is. Just pointing out examples of why you never want your life or the life of your loved ones fully in the hands of technology.
03-05-2014, 08:49 AM
#24
AudiWorld Super User
And that's just it. It's designed for if you "zoned out" for a second and the car thinks it sees you drifting out of your lane. It's not designed, and frankly is dangerous, to try to use as an air hockey self steering system bouncing you between lane boundaries like a drunk driver. The force of the corrective action is often:
- flat out wrong and will steer you into a car next to you
- Too strong
- Too weak
And it's meant only to hint to the driver to consider applying a steering correction in that direction.
- flat out wrong and will steer you into a car next to you
- Too strong
- Too weak
And it's meant only to hint to the driver to consider applying a steering correction in that direction.
I just drove an Infiniti QX56 for 325 miles and it had 3 issues:
1, it beeps at you at every infraction.
2, it does not show if it sees one or more lane markers.
3, it needs a tolerance adjustment, if you are not dead center in the lane then it will remind you. The Audi needs the same adjustment but for the opposite reason, it doesn't tell you that you are crossing the line until you hit the steel domed lane markers and by that time the whole car is vibrating not just the steering wheel.
I have no evidence to substantiate that these software writers have ever driven the car for which they produced the software.
03-05-2014, 08:55 AM
#25
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03-05-2014, 08:58 AM
#26
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Note that many states (particularly where there are harsh winters) do not have those steel domes to serve as mechanical lane departure warnings.
A LDW system is way more useful in such areas.
A LDW system is way more useful in such areas.
03-05-2014, 09:53 AM
#27
AudiWorld Super User
Here in So Cal the roads are an embarrassment to the tax paying public, the lane markers get moved all over the place for construction and then they get ground off leaving ghost lanes. This drives the LDW crazy and my A6 could drive of the side of a freeway if I was there to yank it back.
The EU mainly use reflective paint and "cats eyes" for markers so it can easily be recognized and it makes LDW useful. Here in the US we have 50 jurisdictions so standardization will never happen and because federal agencies, such as the NHTSA and SAE, are bureaucrats there is no hope.
Google needs a terabyte of code to make a car autonomous because it has to accommodate such a variety of state implemented road designs and car designs. I would start with a few changes that would be mandated and regulated:
1. regulate the color temperature of the tail lights to an absolute color temperature.
2. color temperature specific amber turn signals.
3. Mandate the frequency of flashing lights for heavy braking.
4. Mandate lane marking with a defined reflectivity at 100 yards.
BTW - it is very easy to differentiate color difference so that is why functionality can be defined by absolute color.
I could go on but if certain items were standardized then technology in the cars would be easier to implement and have much better functionality, reliability and safety.
03-05-2014, 10:03 AM
#28
AudiWorld Super User
I should probably read the manual sometime, huh? Just kidding.
I made myself very familiar with the brake guard. It actually gives the driver a good deal of control over the notifications and settings. It has an early warning that you can turn off. You can also set it to comfort or dynamic where comfort will engage sooner than dynamic. I had it on comfort but turned off the early warning since it went off way too often in my opinion and didn't really add much. I was satisfied with the options given to tailor it to a driver. It might have technically 'failed' in this case because an accident still occurred but you never know if it helped to reduce the severity of the accident too. I don't blame Audi or the technology because it is what it is. Just pointing out examples of why you never want your life or the life of your loved ones fully in the hands of technology.
I made myself very familiar with the brake guard. It actually gives the driver a good deal of control over the notifications and settings. It has an early warning that you can turn off. You can also set it to comfort or dynamic where comfort will engage sooner than dynamic. I had it on comfort but turned off the early warning since it went off way too often in my opinion and didn't really add much. I was satisfied with the options given to tailor it to a driver. It might have technically 'failed' in this case because an accident still occurred but you never know if it helped to reduce the severity of the accident too. I don't blame Audi or the technology because it is what it is. Just pointing out examples of why you never want your life or the life of your loved ones fully in the hands of technology.
03-05-2014, 10:35 AM
#29
Well, it would be nice to know if someone has been about to install LDW as an "aftermarket" install. I think thats what we started out with. Was there an answer?
BTW - I want to say just to get it out the way. I have no real reason to do this other than it wasnt a feature for my car when I purchased it. I drive unsafely every day, I drive with my knee, I speed, I flash slow drivers, I look at the telematics while driving, I talk to people, and do all things that everyone does but pretends not to do in cars
BTW - I want to say just to get it out the way. I have no real reason to do this other than it wasnt a feature for my car when I purchased it. I drive unsafely every day, I drive with my knee, I speed, I flash slow drivers, I look at the telematics while driving, I talk to people, and do all things that everyone does but pretends not to do in cars
03-05-2014, 11:22 AM
#30
AudiWorld Super User